


A Meaningless Life

by yaoilover226



Category: TRICKSTER - 江戸川乱歩「少年探偵団」より | Trickster: From Edogawa Ranpo's "The Boy Detectives Club" (Anime)
Genre: Canon compliant for the most part, M/M, POV Alternating, Self-Harm, Suicidal Thoughts, injured animals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-11
Updated: 2018-01-05
Packaged: 2018-09-16 17:56:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 54,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9283466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yaoilover226/pseuds/yaoilover226
Summary: It's amazing how one thing can change a life. All it takes is one event, one moment for things to turn around. Kobayashi was convinced that his useless life was forever trapped in an unending loop until an idiot in an orange jumpsuit showed up in his life.





	1. An Unfortunate Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." I do not own Trickster or anything besides my own words. Enjoy!
> 
> WARNING: Chapters may include mentioning of self-harm, suicide, ect.

Kobayashi wasn't content. Content was actually the furthest thing from what he felt about life.How could he be content to live alone starving, cold and desperate to find something that would kill him? He wasn't content in how his life was rather he was use to it. Every day had gone more or less the same way waking up alone in the abandoned Ferris wheel cart with his stomach protesting against the lack of food. The only thing that he could use to differentiate the days were the ways in which he tried to kill himself. Some days he would try falling from a building slowly climbing higher and higher until he ran out of floors to throw himself off of. Not too long ago he gave up on the idea of ingesting anything poisonous as the contents would violently come right back up his throat instead of killing him. He couldn't even cut himself to release the tension and frustration of every day's lack of success. Sometimes he wondered why he still tried.

"This is so frustrating!" He complained towards the sky.

He wanted to die but no matter what he did there was no release from this pointless life. Just the night before he had carelessly dropped himself from the last tallest building near him. Even if he wanted to die there was no point in doing so around others. Frankly, he hated people and tried to avoid any unnecessary interactions with them. If anyone were around when he fell from the building they would've made a huge commotion for nothing. No matter the height he fell from the wind would sweep beneath him and create some sort of barrier that would destroy anything that could harm him. He had been so hopeful that at the height of the building would be too much for whatever it was that prevented him from dying. There was no such luck as he landed with a large crash without gaining a scratch for his efforts. Not even slamming a jagged piece of glass forward did anything as it shattered in seconds before it could even touch his skin.

"Why can't I die?" He could feel tears threatening to push through again at the memory. He hated how sensitive he felt after each failed attempt. Removing himself from the Ferris wheel cart that he called home he made his way into the first floor of a nearby abandoned building.

The building was large and extensively damaged both in part due to the old age and his many attempts of suicide that resulted in nearby items getting blown up. He was thankful for the surrounding decaying buildings for keeping out the cold or prying eyes. He decided to sit nearby the headless angel statue on top of the stairs, for some reason it gave him some sort of comfort. The rays of sun that illuminated the building felt warm as he hugged his knees. In that peace and quiet, he drifted to sleep.

The sounds of murmurs and footsteps stirred him from his nap. He could feel his heart racing as the sounds grew louder.  
"Who is it? Why are they here?" He wondered.

He had managed to find this place to live in isolation. No one stepped foot in this abandoned structures. The fear of someone taking away what little he had was starting to get to him. Whoever it was was coming closer Kobayashi was convinced that they meant to harm him. For a split second he relaxed when he saw a small dog barking at him. The dog appeared that it wouldn't get any closer and desperately he hoped it would stay that way.

"Stay away!" He hoped that his words would somehow be understood by the small animal.

Someone in an orange jumpsuit spoke to him. Kobayashi just wanted them to go away before anything bad happened. He could feel that same sensation he got in the pit of his stomach when he would fall from buildings right before he hit the ground. It was an unwelcoming feeling that only resulted in destruction around him. Dread seized him when the dog ran towards him.

"Stay away!" He moved back just enough for the dog to lightly touch the mysterious barrier that kept him from harm. A whimper was heard as the dog was pushed back. "It's not my fault. It's not my fault." He murmured to himself. Without another look at the dog's owner he jumped from the broken window behind him. He felt horrible for hurting the animal however he knew that if he stuck around the dog's owner could also be harmed. Or worse he could be arrested and locked up somewhere. Either way, he wouldn't see that person again so he kept running as soon as his feet touched the ground.

////  


For once Hanasaki was thankful to have been put on the mission of finding the lost dog. The dog had led him straight to the most interesting person he had ever met. When he'd first saw the stranger curled up, face hidden behind a hood in that old abandoned building he wondered why someone so young was homeless. From the base of the stairs he could tell that the homeless person was fearful of the small animal. He tried to ease the tension slowly moving to pick up the animal, but the dog had other ideas. The moment the dog ran towards the stranger hitting something that sent it flying back whimpering he feared the worse. He was more or less trained to deal with hostility and could hold his own in a fight if the stranger decided to attack him too. There was no need for such a reaction as the stranger jumped out of the window before he realized what happened. He didn't know what to think of the way the homeless stranger took off running as if the fall hadn't phased him at all. For now he turned his attention back to the dog whimpering on the ground. The sound pierced his very soul.

"It's alright." He said gently picking up the injured animal.

By some sort of miracle the dog had survived the attack. Pushing back the questions of what the stranger had attacked with he ran to the nearest vet. Hanasaki knew that death was a normal part of life, still he wouldn't simply stand by. If he could save a life he would do anything he could. 

////  


Staring down a guns' barrel Kobayashi hoped that this was finally the end. He couldn't take the fact that he had harmed another living thing. Why couldn't it have been him who was hurt? Deep down he hoped that the animal somehow survived. Based on past experiences he didn't have much faith that would be the result of his uncontrollable actions. His heart felt heavy at the thought. Taking a deep breath he fired the gun into his mouth. Almost immediately the bullet forced its way up his throat making him gag.  
"Not even a gun can kill me?" The soreness in his throat was the only thing that remotely resembled the release that he believed death would give him. Unfortunately, the slight pain quickly disappeared leaving him with only disappointment. 

With flowers in hand Kobayashi decided to go back to the place he had that horrible run in with that dog. Although the dog had frightened him he never wanted to kill it or harm it in any way. He loved animals way more than people. He wasn't some monster that enjoyed killing living things. "I'm sorry." He whispered as he scattered flowers around the small puddle of blood on the ground. More than ever he wished that he could control this unknown power he had. Why was he cursed with it? The only answer he came up with was that he deserved this. He deserved to be forever trapped in this cycle of destroying everything around him while not being able to destroy himself.

"You care very deeply don't you."

He jumped back at those words. Standing at the base of the stairs was the dog's owner. Quickly he leaped out of the broken window just as he did earlier. He was sure that he wouldn't be followed, but only moments later the dog's owner followed out the window.

"Who is this person?" He asked himself as he watched something shoot out from the stranger's wrist. Almost acrobatic the stranger fell towards him.

"Wait up." The stranger yelled just before he made contact with the ground.

Kobayashi didn't wait to take off again. He tried his best not to look back as he was being chased. Whoever this person was definitely wasn't in the right mind to go after him.

"I shouldn't have gone back there." He yelled at himself.

Farther and farther he ran until he no longer heard the stranger yelling after him. His lungs started to ache as he caught his breath. He'd never been chased like this before it was both exhilarating and unnerving.

"You're very fast." The stranger spoke standing in front of him.

Kobayashi knew he had to run, but his legs and lungs felt so heavy. Even though he couldn't die from starvation his body couldn't keep up all this movement on the little he managed to consume.

"Please don't run away. I just want to talk."

"You'll die if you come near me."

He didn't know what to do. He didn't feel like running off anymore nor did he want to be yelled at by a stranger. He felt horrible about the dog and didn't need to be blamed for its death.

"Here." The stranger said placing a bottled drink near him.

Since he didn't see the stranger get the drink he wondered where it came from. His body craved for the drink after the exhaustion. Hesitantly he took the bottle. If the drink was poisoned he would survive yet the stupid smile on the stranger's' face still made him nervous. Opening the bottle he chugged the contents which caused a coughing fit. He hadn't tasted anything like this before, but he knew it definitely wasn't water or poison.

"Do you like it? It's cider." The stranger laughed.

He refused to look at the idiot. He hadn't tasted cider before today. The way it fizzed tickled his throat as he slowly sipped at the liquid left in the bottle. For a moment silence hung between them. It was uncomfortable. He wanted the stranger to just leave.

"Hey, I'm sorry about today."

Sorry? Kobayashi couldn't understand why the stranger was apologizing. He was the one who killed the strangers' pet. This stranger would think of him as a monster just like everyone else.

"I didn't mean to frighten you this morning. That dog just ran off on its own."

" I...I didn't mean to ....kill..it."

He could hear the stranger move from the spot besides him. He could feel his whole body tense as he heard the footsteps stop in front of him. Looking through his cascaded bangs he could see the stranger bent down in front of him staring. Lifting his head he finally took in the sight of the stranger's' features; bright cerulean blue eyes framed by short brown hair and a bright smile. Kobayashi hadn't seen anyone like this person before, then again he made sure not to really look at anyone. The stranger reached his hand forward and was knocked back by the strong barrier that protected Kobayashi.

"Ouch." The stranger said as he readjusted himself from the impact. "You really don't like to be touched do you?"

"It's not my fault! I don't have control over it."

"I didn't mean to upset you."

"I wouldn't intentionally kill an animal."

"And you didn't."

"What?" He could feel something in his heart grow lighter. He was unsure what the stranger was saying. He must've killed the dog, that's what happened when he was frightened.

"You didn't kill the dog."

"But there was blood."

"That protection of yours sliced its leg, but he seems to be doing a lot better now at the vet. I'm glad the dog didn't decide to jump into your arms."

Kobayashi couldn't believe it. He was certain that he had killed yet again another living creature. The dog was alive; that thought alone could make him burst into tears.

"That thing you can do is very impressive."

"I don't think it is."

"But you're invincible."

He hated how the stranger's' eyes lit up as he spoke. Whatever this curse was didn't make him feel invincible. It only brought destruction and a pain that he could never be freed from. Of course, this idiot wouldn't know a thing about the struggles he faced from this curse. To anyone else this was an amazing power, but to him it consistently limited what he could feel or experience. Life meant nothing if he couldn't touch things without fear of his surroundings being sliced or shattered.

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Maybe I don't... I find it very amazing."

"Well, I don't... I just want to die."

Kobayashi didn't know why he was still talking to this stranger. If he wanted he could run off now that he had rested. There was no point in continuing this conversation. He doubted he would have to interact with this person after today.

" I have to go. Let me know if you want to see the dog again."

As he watched the stranger run off he couldn't help but wondering who was this strange person. Although the interaction hadn't been as horrible as he thought he hoped that he wouldn't have to talk to another person for as long as he lived. Pulling up the hood of his jacket he made his way back to his home.

////  


Hanasaki wondered if there was something he should've done to assure that he would meet the invincible stranger again. He could almost kick himself for not leaving his wallet behind so there was a reason to turn back. There was something that drew him to the invincible stranger that he couldn't even begin to put in words. Whoever this person was he cared very deeply about the dog he'd injured. There were so many questions he wanted to ask, but he tended to put his foot in his mouth. Already he had run into that problem calling the stranger invincible, which wasn't taken as a compliment by the other. He really thought this person was amazing. The stranger's looks alone was beyond words. It wasn't until he had decided to sit across from him that he realized how those ruby red eyes radiated against that fair skin and the stray strands of silver hair that attempted to hide those eyes. There was so many emotions behind those eyes, some which felt way too familiar to him. Opting to keep a positive outlook he recalled how ruby eyes shined with relief when he told the stranger that the dog had survived.

"I am an idiot! I forgot to ask him his name! I guess I'll just have to ask him tomorrow."


	2. If I'm Lucky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." I do not own Trickster or anything besides my own words. Enjoy!

The loud rumble of his stomach woke Kobayashi from his dreamless sleep.  He hated the annoying sound as it would echo within the small confines of the Ferris wheel cart. There was little he could do to silence the protests of his stomach. It was no surprise that his stomach would growl at him after being chased by the idiot in an orange jumpsuit with nothing more than the cider in his stomach.

“That idiot.” He grumbled at the thought of the stranger.

If it wasn’t for the chase yesterday he could’ve avoided the task of searching for food today. Looking at the tally marks he had carved into the wall of the Ferris wheel it was about several days since the last time he had eaten anything solid. Starvation had set in a while ago, which had made it hard to even move at times. With nausea and headaches that came and went, he wondered how his body could still run away. The growling of his stomach convinced him to finally give up on the idea of starvation. Reluctantly he removed himself from the comfort of the Ferris wheel cart.

Slipping out of the hole in the fence that surrounded his abandoned home he moved along the alleyways in search of food. Digging through the trash wasn’t something he enjoyed at all. Even if he didn’t have to worry about getting cut or poisoned by the contents of the bag the stench still assaulted his nose. Without money he had no other option. Taking a deep breath he opened up a nearby bag. Kobayashi made sure not to make too much of a mess as he searched just in case the owners of this trash decided to lock it up. Luck seemed to be on his side as he found some stale bread still wrapped up. For anyone else this would be disgusting ,but Kobayashi’s stomach pleaded for the food. Digging a little more he found a half filled bottle of water. He wondered why so many people tossed out half filled water bottles,still it was one of the few things he could count on to fill his stomach.

“Should I keep looking for food?” He asked himself as he re-tie the bag.

If he wanted to find more food he would have to go elsewhere, which wasn’t the most appealing idea. Slipping the water and the bread into the inside pocket of his jacket he decided that he would search a little more before going to the old abandoned building he loved. If he was lucky he would be able to find enough food to last him the week.

 

////

Hanasaki woke with more energy than ever. The idea of possibly seeing the invincible stranger made his heart beat excitedly. His mind had been so focused on their meeting all night. After he had said goodbye to the stranger he ran off to the vet to check up on the injured dog. According to the vet, the dog would be good to take back this afternoon. Even if the lost dog mission was called off he still wanted to return the dog to its rightful owners.

With the excitement of wanting to tell the other members of the  Boy Detectives Club about yesterday's events, he made his way to their base. Unfortunately, when he got to the base there was little time to talk about things as he was sent on another mission. Being a thrill junkie he quickly accepted the mission of trailing a man. It was a better-suited mission for him than finding lost animals.

“If I’m lucky I’ll get to see him again.” He smiled to himself as he went off on his mission.

 

///

Today was really a lucky day for Kobayashi as he managed to get more food besides the bread and water he had found earlier in the day. The slight weight that the food had in his jacket was comforting as he entered the abandoned building. Passing the small puddle of dried blood surrounded by flowers he made his way to the top of the stairs. The ring of flowers reminded him of yesterday's events. He was so relieved that the dog had survived the attack. Unloading the food from his pocket his mouth began to water. Stale bread, water,  two half-eaten apples, and a some sort of canned food was now available to his empty stomach. He decided to eat the fruit and bread since they wouldn’t last much longer. Reaching in the hole in the floor boards besides the headless angel statue he pulled out a warped knife. He had once tried to stab himself with the knife, resulting in its current warped state. Even though the knife was useless on him it could still cut into the decaying fruit he had dug from the trash. The last thing he wanted was any spoiled food to violently force its way back up. Carefully cutting off the portions of bitten fruit he slowly ate the remaining untouched pieces. His whole body told him to shovel the food into his mouth,but he needed to space out the small portions. If he ate it all right away his stomach would only ask for more in a matter of minutes. It took some effort to break the piece of bread in half. The bread felt as hard as a rock. Reaching back into the floorboards he pulled out a small bowl that had a crack along its side. Doing his best to avoid the crack  he poured water into the bowl. Setting the piece of bread into the bowl he waited for the rocklike substance to absorb the water. Once the bread turned soggy he was able to scoop up piece by piece with his fingers.

“ What are you eating?”

Somehow Kobayashi managed to stop himself from dropping the bowl.

“This idiot has a bad habit of sneaking up on me.” He thought as his tongue clicked in a loud Tch sound.

He didn’t want to abandon the food he had spent so long to find nor did he want to stay in the presence of the idiot.

“I can find more food later.” He told himself as he grabbed the bottle of water and ran up to the next floor. With food in his stomach he could feel that his legs could run faster than yesterday, still, he didn’t want to chance losing any energy by jumping out the window. He knew this place like the back of his hand, for now, he would hide until the unwelcomed guest went away.

“Wait. Come back.” He heard the stranger say as he ran.

“ What does he want with me?”

Hoping that the food he just ate would stay down he ran into one of the rooms on the fourth floor. In the decaying room was a small dresser, a worn bed, and a large wardrobe. Without much thought, he curled himself into the small dresser. As footsteps echoed along the wooden floor he did his best to remain calm.  Covering his mouth to quiet his breathing he listened for any hints as to where the other might be.

“Please just go away.” He thought.

 

///

The tailing mission had gotten boring after a while. More than likely it was a cheating spouse than an actual bad guy so with the amount of information he had already collected he decided to take a break. Without delay, he found himself right outside of the abandoned building. As if it was a repeat of the day before on the top of the stairs stood the person that occupied his thoughts. By the looks of it, he was eating something. Curiosity had gotten the better of him resulting in yet again the stranger taking off. He was surprised however that the stranger didn’t leap out of the window as he had done yesterday.

“Wait.” He called out over and over as he ascended the stairs after the other.

When the footsteps no longer thudded across the floor he wondered if the stranger had changed his mind about jumping out a window. Luckily the old abandoned building provided him with enough dust that small footprints could be seen along the crumbling floor. The fading footsteps lead him to a room on the fourth floor.Opening the door he found the room devoid of the person he was chasing.

“Maybe he’s hiding.” He thought.

Before he could search the room as his pendant started to beep alerting him that he was receiving a call.

“Where are you?” The voice from the pendant called out.

“Hi, Inoue.”

“Have you completed your mission?”

“ I am finishing up.” He lied.

“We don’t have time for you to be playing around. If you’re done hurry back with your report.”

“Fine.”

With a sigh, he ended the call. Sometimes he hated how strict Inoue could be. In any case, there was no point in chasing after the silver haired boy right now. Giving up on the task, for now, would save him a scolding from Inoue.

 

///

Kobayashi waited for what seemed like hours as he listened for the disappearance of his chaser. Cautiously he emerged from his hiding spot. Curiosity prodded him at the thought of the stranger talking to someone else. In the confines of his hiding space, he was able to make out each word but that didn’t mean he understood what was being said.

“What was his mission?” He wondered as he made his way down the stairs.

Tiptoeing as he got closer to the headless angel statue he made sure that he was alone.

“Tch” he tongue clicked at the sight of his interrupted meal. The bowl’s contents were gone as well as the leftover fruit. The one thing he hated about this place was the rats that stole whatever food he could get his hands on. The leftover bread was no longer good at tiny ants crawled all over it. Angrily he tossed the empty bowl at the infested bread sending the ants to scatter.

“I’m sorry... You didn’t deserve that...This is all that idiot's fault.” He said to the ants.

He didn’t like the idea of hurting any living creature. Watching the ants scattering he wondered what he should do now. There still was the canned food he found, even so, he had planned to save it for later this week. With a grumble, he laid on his back staring at the decaying ceiling. The dim light that reflected off the peeling paint told him that there was still time to search for food. He hated the idea of searching for food without any cover of the early mornings or the shadows of night.

“I’m not hungry anyway.”

 

///

Hanasaki made his way to the base of the  Boy Detectives Club‘s base as quick as he could. Although he wasn’t in any rush to give Inoue a progress report on his mission he still used every shortcut he could. The sooner he got done with this boring task the sooner he could return to the chase of the silvered haired boy.

“There’s the thrill seeker!” The owl voiced as he entered the main room.

To anyone else they would think they had gone crazy hearing a girl's voice from an owl. Of course, it wasn’t really the owl who spoke, rather it was one of the clubs members speaking through the device attached to the owl.

“What’s up Noro?”

“Where have you been?”

“Out on a mission obviously. “ He said as he flung himself onto the nearby couch.

“ I hope that carefree attitude of yours means that the mission was successful.” Another voice spoke.

Leaning back his head he noticed Inoue entering the room with a stern face. When it came to detective work Inoue always had a stern face on, it was one of the things that he often made fun of.

“Of course I finished my mission. It was a simple case of a cheating spouse.”

Hanasaki hoped that Inoue wouldn’t pick up on his lies. He was about 80% sure that his lie held some truth to the case, despite that Inoue tend to point out the flaws in his investigations.

“I expect a written report by the end of the day.”

“Will do.” He smiled. “ Luck is definitely on my side today.” He thought as Inoue made his way to the desk.  “So where’s Akechi?”

“He’s out on another matter. Why do you ask?”

“Just curious.”

“What are you up to?” Inoue asked with a raised brow.

“Who me? When have I ever been up to anything?”

“I suggest you write that report instead of causing trouble.”

“I’ll go do that.”

Hanasaki knew better than to press his luck. It seemed pointless for him to return to base for such a short interaction still, it didn’t take long to get there. Looking at the time he noticed that it would be soon that he had to get the injured dog from the vet. There was something he had to do before he did that. Taking his wallet in hand he went to the nearest vending machine. As he picked out a dish he thought back to the food he’d seen the invincible boy eating. The food had looked so awful especially whatever the contents of the bowl was.  Even if the food looked unappetizing he felt bad for interrupting the boy’s meal.

“I should make it up to him.”

 

///

Kobayashi was getting annoyed by how often he was seeing the person in the orange jumpsuit.  He didn’t want to find another place to hide out aside from his Ferris wheel because of the constant trespasser. He didn’t own this building but he had made a home of sorts in it so he didn’t appreciate the uninvited guest.

“Isn’t it bad enough that he ruined my food earlier?” He thought as he peered out from the headless angel statue.

“Hello?”

“As if I’d respond to you.” He thought.

“I didn’t mean to ruin your meal earlier. I wanted to apologize.” The boy said lifting up a small bag. “I’m not here to hurt you.”

Kobayashi watched intently as the other slowly removed items from the bag. The first was a bottle of clear liquid he guessed was the cider he had the day before. The next was what looked like bread buns. The last item was unrecognizable as it was wrapped up, nevertheless the scent it was giving up reawoke the hunger within him. A loud grumble erupted from within him.

“Ah. So you are here.” The stranger smiled.

Kobayashi cursed his stomach for giving away his position. Now that he was found out it made little sense to keep hiding, however, he couldn’t bring himself to remove himself from the statue's side.

“Do you want me to just leave this here?”

Out of the corner of his eye, Kobayashi could see a rat waiting for the moment to strike. He refused to let the foul rodent take his food again. Shooting a glare at the creature he moved towards the food. Ever so cautiously he kept his eyes on the rat as well as the individual who brought the food. He needed to make sure that neither one made a move to take his food. Quickly he snatched his prize wrapping his arms around it just in case the stranger changed his mind about feeding him.

“Relax. I’m not going to take it back. I promise.”

Kobayashi didn’t take his eyes off the boy as he unwrapped the bread and took a bite. He was shocked at how soft the bread felt. There was no need to soak it in the leftover water he had. Closing his eyes for a moment he enjoyed the sensation of not forcefully having to bite down on the bread or scooping it up in a soggy mess. Opening his eyes he noticed two cerulean blue eyes staring at him. As unnerving as it was to be watched eating he turned his attention to the dish that he didn’t recognize. Lifting up the packaging a savory scent filled his nose. Inside was some sort of meat and rice covered in a sauce. Kobayashi didn’t waste time with utensils as he scooped up the contents into his hand. They were still warm to the touch as he shoveled it into his mouth. He hadn’t tasted anything so delicious before it almost made him weep.

“I’m glad you like it.” The stranger chuckled.

He ignored those words as well as the heat in his cheeks. If this person was going to continuously interrupt his isolated life he might as well enjoy the food he was given. This couldn’t become a habit though.

“Hey, would you mind coming with me somewhere?”

“Why?” He asked before taking another mouthful.

“I wanted to show you something.”

Kobayashi wasn’t sure what the motives were behind this.  There was no reason for him to follow this person anywhere.

“I can get you more food like this if you join me.”

Food was the largest temptation for Kobayashi. Even if he was currently filling his belly, the thought of having food like this instead of rotting fruit and stale bread the next day was too good to pass up. He was a hesitant if not a paranoid person so he didn’t automatically jump at the tempting offer. There wasn’t much he knew about this person so how could he trust him? Given food and drinks weren’t enough to convince him that this stranger was trustworthy.

“I promise it’ll be worthwhile if you come with me.....You can have anything you want to eat.”

“Anything?”

“It’s an agreement then.”

 

///

Hanasaki was overjoyed when he managed to convince Kobayashi to join him. He wasn’t sure if he would be trusted or if the food he had bought would be eaten. It was an uplifting feeling to see the way that hard face soften into a smile as he ate the food he brought him. That short-lived smile would forever be stored in his mind.  Whistling a happy tune he led them to the vet. Keeping a space between them he constantly turned around and smiled at his companion.

“Stop that.”

“ Stop what?”

“That dumb look on your face.” The boy said turning away from his gaze.

“Sorry, I’m just so excited to bring you here.”

“Here?”

The stopped right outside of the vet. Hanasaki could tell from the boy's face that he wasn’t too thrilled about going into the building.

“Give me a few minutes. I’ll be right back so please don’t leave.”

A small nod settled his nerves for a moment before he entered the building.

“Welcome back. Your dog is doing well.” Said the veterinarian with a smile.

“Thank you very much.”

“You need to be careful with him.” The veterinarian said as she carefully placed the animal in his arms.

“I’m very lucky that he’s alright. Thank you again.”

Cautiously he exited the building. He wished that he could have a pet, especially a cute dog like this one. Cradling the animal in his arm he made his way back to his companion.

“Look who I have.” He said showing the happy dog within his arms to the other.

The dog happily barked at the silver haired boy, but the look on the boy's face appeared more fearful than joyful. Hanasaki wondered if he was still feeling guilty about injuring the dog or if the boy was actually fearful of animals. To err on caution he pressed the animal closer to his own body.

“You don’t have to be afraid. He likes you.”

“That’s ridiculous. ...Why would that dog like me? ....I hurt him.”

If he could Hanasaki would’ve placed a hand on the other’s shoulder. Guilt was something he knew very well could eat at a person. The last thing he wanted was for the guilt of the incident to affect this person anymore.

“He knows that you didn’t mean to.... Pain is a part of life. I’m sure this little guy is just happy to be alive.”

“Happy to be alive?”

Hanasaki wasn’t sure what to say. Once again he had placed his foot in his mouth around this person. There was no hostility in the dog's eyes towards the boy. The happy tail wags were enough for him to relieve some of his own guilt about yesterday's incident. If it wasn’t for him chasing after the small animal perhaps none of this would’ve happened. Of course, he was also grateful that yesterday’s events had taken place if not only to meet the person currently standing in front of him.

“ You don’t have to feel guilty about what happened.”

“Yeah right.”

“I’m to blame as well. You didn’t intend to hurt this dog.”

“That doesn’t matter...You probably think I’m a monster.”

The last words were spoken so softly that if Hanasaki wasn’t paying so much attention that he would’ve missed it.  Nothing about this person beside him was monstrous. Whoever this person was had a kind heart hidden behind that hard face.

“Come with me.”

“Huh?”

“We need to return this guy to his owners. I’m sure they will be very happy to have him back.”

“He’s not yours.”

“I wish.”

 

///

Kobayashi couldn’t look at either the dog or the person he was following. The barking from the dog sounded happy, which he still couldn’t understand. How was this animal so happy to be around him after what he had done? If the tables had been turned he would have been fearful for the rest of his life. Keeping an even larger distance between himself and the other than before he silently followed.  

They approached a small house with a fence surrounded by flowers in the yard. A kid could be seen playing happily with a ball. The sight made him feel something in the pit of his stomach that he couldn’t quite name.

“Hello.”

Kobayashi watched as the little child’s attention turned to them and broke out into a huge smile.

“Doggy!” The child said running towards them. “Mommy Daddy they found him!”

Two people emerged from the house happily joining their child. Once again he could feel that unnamed feeling sitting in the pit of his stomach. Instinctually he moved back in case his mysterious barrier decided to lash out.

“How did you find him?” The child asked.

“He is a fast little guy. If it wasn’t for this guy we wouldn’t have caught him.” The boy in the orange jumpsuit said pointing towards him.

Kobayashi couldn’t fathom the reason behind the lie. He hadn’t done a thing to safely return the dog to its’ rightful owners.

“What do we say?” Asked the woman to the child.

“Thank you very much!”

He wanted to deny any of his so called help. Those joy filled eyes that stared at him kept his mouth shut. Besides it wasn’t as if he wanted to tell the child that he had been responsible for the animal’s injuries.

“Thank you very much...what were your names again?” The mother asked.

“I’m Hanasaki, Kensuke  from the Boys Detectives Club.” The orange jumpsuit wearer spoke showing off a pendant of some kind. “And this is....”

“Kobayashi...Yoshio....”

“Thank you both very much for what you’ve done for our family.”

“Anytime.”

Kobayashi didn’t know what to do as they watched the happy family. A part of him was horrified that he had given out his name to a bunch of strangers, especially to one who seemed to pop up unexpectedly in his life. He now knew the name of his chaser, Hanasaki.

“ Look at how happy they are. You helped them become reunited Kobayashi. “

He hated how the stranger used his name so easily.

“You’re not a monster at all. You are a very kind individual.” Hanasaki smiled.

Kobayashi didn’t want to hear any more lies from Hanasaki. With the dog returned to its rightful owners he was sure there would be no more reason for them to interact. These past days would become nothing but a blur once he returned to his isolation. There was no reason to question why his heart had skipped for a moment or to remember the name of an idiot in an orange jumpsuit.  Names and feelings had no place in the meaningless life that he was desperate to return to. Going along with Hanasaki was only to get food at the end. Food was the only thing that motivated him to take any part in this. Kobayashi wouldn’t fool himself into thinking that this was some lucky encounter that would be the start of some friendship. Friendships didn’t exist in his world. No matter what anyone said there was no reason for anyone to like him.

“I won’t believe your lies.” He mumbled to himself.

“What was that?”

“You owe me food.” He said walking off.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author notes:  
> Thank you to everyone who is reading this fanfic.  
> Special thank you to those who have left comments and Kudos, they are very motivating. Hopefully, I may continue a weekly update schedule with this work.  
> After reading a comment I wondered if this work would be considered an AU or just an alternate timeline. Technically it is in the same universe as cannon with alterations to certain actions. Food for thought.


	3. A Noticeable Change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." I do not own Trickster or anything besides my own words. Enjoy!

“You seem less focused than usual.”

“What do you mean?”Hanasaki asked as he turned in his paperwork to Inoue.

“Usually you’d be bothering me to no end to give you a  more exciting mission while Akechi is away.”

Hanasaki knew that Inoue was right. Usually, he would ask for anything besides tailing cheating spouses or searching for lost pets, but with Kobayashi in his life he liked having simpler missions that he could get done with sooner so he could meet up with the silver haired boy. Being around him was so thrilling. He wanted to know everything there was to know about Kobayashi.

 

Hanasaki wondered if he was doing the right thing by keeping Kobayashi a secret to the club. As much as he wanted to ask Kobayashi to be a part of the club he knew there still was a much work to be done in order to gain trust. There was too much unknown. If he told Inoue the truth he wouldn’t be able to defend his actions of pursuing the invincible boy. It was instinctual or more so curiosity that motivated his actions, which both Inoue and Akechi had warned him to be careful of. This world wasn’t as safe as it seemed. By being a detective he knew that threats such as Twenty Faces were operating below the surface. Despite what people thought, Hanasaki wasn’t a naive idiot. He knew that there were consequences to this secret and possibilities of him taking on something that was too big for him to handle. In any case he didn’t believe that Kobayashi was a bad person or posed as a threat. The others of the club may not see it that way considering the uncontrollable power Kobayashi possessed.

“Well, when Akechi comes back I’ll pester him for better missions.”  He joked, hoping to minimize any suspicion.

“I shouldn’t have said anything.” Inoue sighed before turning back to his paperwork.

///

For once it wasn’t the sound of a protesting stomach that woke Kobayashi, rather it was the reflecting sun assaulting his eyes. It was a strange sensation to have a full stomach and wake to the morning glow. Often it was the idea of food that shook him from his sleep before the sun found its way into the morning sky. He wondered what time it was, but there was no reason to worry. Today he didn’t have to rely on shadows to cover his appearance as he searched trash bags for food nor did he have to make the trip over to the abandoned building.

“I don’t have to do anything today.” He thought as he brought a small bag closer to his body.

After going along with the idiot in the orange jumpsuit antics last night he was heavily rewarded in food. Knowing that this was once in a lifetime opportunity he had been wise with the selection of food he had asked for. He was promised that he could have anything he wanted to eat; that idea alone was enough to make him want to pick out the most food-filled option ,but he had manage to hold himself back. If this person was being generous he had to make sure that it wasn’t to the point that he would be expected to pay back. The bright machine that chimed about food  use to be only a thing that mocked him as he barely scraped together uneaten food. Once he had shook it violently only to be warned by nearby shopkeeper. That experience deterred him from ever getting near one again, that was until last night. The vibrant images of food had made his mouth water. In the end he pointed out the familiar items that he was given earlier. Now he held those items close recalling how the stranger had given him more food than he asked for.

“I should probably save some of these for next week.”

He knew that even if the bread were to go hard in their wrappers it was still better than eating another person’s stale bread. The sauced meat and rice, on the other hand, wouldn’t last past today. His mouth could still remember how wonderful it felt to taste fresh warm food. That memory alone would be something he knew he could rely on to minimize some of the daily sufferings he felt.

“I can’t get use to this.” He reminded himself as he sat up against the remaining cushion of the Ferris Wheel cart.

Today seemed so different from all the other days, but he couldn’t allow himself to get use to even a second of it. Tomorrow would come and things would gradually return to the way things use to be. There was no reason for him to expect to see the orange jumpsuit, or be given fresh food, or to even talk to another person again. Nothing that happened these past two days would ever reoccur, he was sure of that and he wouldn’t let them happen again. Every moment he spent out of isolation was a risk that he only dared to gamble with for food. The world outside the steel walls of this Ferris wheel wasn’t made for someone like him. What could he possibly do outside of the routine he had made for himself?

There was something inside him that he felt had to be pushed down. It did him no good to think about the person who interrupted his solitude.

//

Hanasaki was at a loss. He wasn’t much of a foresight type of guy,which often led him into impulsive and some would say idiotic situations. Things tended to go his way after a while so there was no reason to go against the flow. The saying “things happen for a reason” was something he lived by for better or for worse.  Even so he wasn’t some unacting participant in life. Sure there was no available excuse that came to the forefront of his mind so he could see Kobayashi again,but he wouldn’t forget about him. There was no possible way could he dismiss the events they had gone through together, as short as they were. Whatever he was hoping to getting out of spending time was beyond him.  He wasn’t sure if it was promise of having someone to hang out with or if it was just curiosity that kept bringing the thought of silver hair and ruby eyes. Was it the short-lived smiles and sparkles in those ruby eyes that he wished to see again? Regardless of why he knew that more than anything he wanted to be near Kobayashi. As strong as a magnetic pull he couldn’t fight the ever growing want.

///

The view from the roof of the abandoned building looked differently. The last time he had been here was only a few days ago, but there was something off. Perhaps it was because he hadn’t tried to kill himself the day before. That realization was something he wasn’t at all prepared for. So many days had passed in which the only thing he really did was find ways to possibly kill himself if not hurt himself. How was it possible that he could so easily go a day without trying anything? He knew he still wanted to die, but the thought of going a day without a suicide attempt unnerved him to the very core. Suicide was all he had that defined him. Suffering was a daily endeavor that he had to overcome again and again without the release of pain. Every sense was numb simply existing to keep him alive against his wishes.

“What changed?” He thought looking at the busy life below.

A flash of cerulean eyes brought to the front of his mind gave him the answer.

“That idiot.”

For some reason those words felt heavier on his lips. Whatever these new stirrings were they were not welcomed at all. These stirrings were not full on emotions but more like the tingling sensations that annoyed him when he once slept on his arm too long.  He needed to feel numb again. Impulsively he backed up before taking a running start. Feet hitting the ground faster and faster until there was no more ground to run on. The one split second where his feet left the safety of the roof and stepped into the air he could feel the faintest drop in his heart. A feeling so faint as if it was nothing more than tripping ,but it was that small feeling that use to be the only thing that told him he wasn’t so numb inside. The clouds seemed to stand still as the world around him turned into familiar blurs. He closed his eyes as the sensation in the pit of his stomach which told him that the ground was fast approaching. The wind swept under him creating a cushion ,once again his mysterious power was preventing him from death. Gently he was placed on his back and the crushing numbness returned at full force.

“Why am I doing this?” He asked towards the sky.

“That’s what I would like to know.”

He had to be going crazy to be hearing that voice. Maybe he finally hit his head from the fall. Closing his eyes again he hoped that hearing voices meant that he was slowly dying.

“Let me die.”

“Why do you want to die?”

Kobayashi refused to look towards the voice or answer that question. There wasn’t much of a point in talking to a figment of his imagination or a result of a head injury. No other option was available then those to know what the voice was. The orange jumpsuit idiot wouldn’t come back to pester him and he wasn’t willing to deal with any antics no matter how much food was offered. For all the idiot knew he was a dangerous person who couldn’t control his monstrous actions. If such a person had any brains whatsoever they would stay as far away from him as possible. Warmth seemed to radiate more than usual as he remained on the ground with his eyes closed. Due to the food he had plenty of the previous day he didn’t feel as exhausted from the fall, still, e decided to rest.

 

When his eyes opened it took a while to readjust to the brightness. An hour or so must’ve passed as the sun had moved since the last time he had looked. Sitting up he noticed an insect lying dead not too far away from him.Kobayashi wondered what it would be like if he didn’t have this mysterious power preventing him from experiencing the world around him. If he didn’t have numbed senses because of it perhaps he would’ve ended up like that dried up insect.  Looking down at his hands he wondered if he would last longer than the poor creature in the sun with his fair skin. A part of him expected to see those cerulean eyes looking at him waiting to make some sort of remark,b ut he was alone.

“I’m always alone.” He reminded himself out loud.

The pesky image of smiles and cerulean eyes kept coming to the forefront of his mind. Kobayashi hated how his mind was reminding him of something that he could never have again. No smiles would be thrown his way again. The same sensation that hit him when he’d seen the child with parents came back. He couldn’t understand how he was able to feel so little and yet be so affected by unnamed sensations.

“Why am I even thinking about that now?”

There were many things in this world that Kobayashi knew he could never have. Family or friends were just one of those things he had given up on a long time ago. He use to wonder if he had such things before he found himself in this unending loop of an existence. Now wasn’t the time to think on things that might’ve been as his stomach asked for food. It was all meaningless in the end.

 

///

Hanasaki’s  heart dropped at the sight of Kobayashi quickly approaching the ground from the top of the abandoned building. Every inch of his body told him to try and prevent the falling boy from connecting with the ground. This feeling was quickly shifted to awe as he watched Kobayashi’s fall slow to the point that he was gently placed onto the ground. Even though he’d seen some of Kobayashi’s ability he didn’t know the extent of the power Kobayashi possessed. He was unsure of what to do when Kobayashi appeared to be lying motionlessly. Once again worry pricked at the back of his mind. The view of a unmoving body stirred unwanted feelings.

“Why am I doing this?” He heard Kobayashi ask as he moved closer.

“That’s what I would like to know.”

There was a pause before Kobayashi spoke again.

“Let me die.”

“Why do you want to die?”

Silence followed after the question. For a while he sat besides Kobayashi watching as the his chest slowly rise and fall.  The heat of the beating sun gave off an angelic look to the fair skinned boy.  Hanasaki wondered if the increasing heat bothered the sleeping boy who wore a heavy looking black jacket. Being so close he could  tell just how baggy the clothes were on Kobayashi’s scrawny frame.

“I shouldn’t be doing this.” He thought when he noticed he had been staring at that sleeping face too long.

A twinge of embarrassment rose up as he decided to leave. Holding the items he‘d brought for Kobayashi he walked into the abandoned building. For the first time he admired the aging architecture. He could see why Kobayashi would like this place that may have been a hotel in another life. The way the sun through the broken windows spotlighted the headless angel statue was breathtaking. The interior almost resembled his family home.

“It’s empty enough.” He joked to himself.

Shaking his head he decided it was for the best to just leave the gifts. If he wasn’t careful he would arouse Inoue’s suspicion by continually running off to see Kobayashi. Getting Kobayashi involved with the world he knew as a detective was risky. To be honest he wasn’t sure how serious Kobayashi was about dying then again he had witnessed the fall from the building just moments before. There was no way of knowing what had led to Kobayashi’s determination for death.

Up the stairs he recalled where he had noticed a small opening in the floorboards.Pressing down on the boards one by one he found the loose board opening. It seemed that Kobayashi used this place as a storage. Inside he saw the cracked bowl, a warped knife, and the small bag of food he had bought the night before.

“What are you doing?”

Caught red handed he froze.

“Stay away from my stuff.”

“I...I was just dropping off something for you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Come look.” He smiled.

He watched as Kobayashi hesitantly moved closer. Moving aside Kobayashi picked out the items in the bag.He gazed as Kobayashi inspected the contents of the bag: a new ceramic bowl, some utensils, and a few more bread buns.

“Why would you give me these?”

“ I thought you would like having some new things..”

The look on Kobayashi’s face was a mixture of emotions that moved by so fast that Hanasaki couldn’t name before it turned to a neutral state. He felt anxious at the thought his gifts  or his presence weren’t welcomed.

 

//

Kobayashi didn’t know what to make of this. He had returned to the abandoned building to pick at the food he had stored in the space between the floorboards only to find the pest in orange going through his stuff. Apprehensively he questioned the other’s motives. Instead of having his belongings taken away he was gifted a new bowl, a set of Knife, fork, a spoon, and even more bread. Uncomfortable by the actions he had no words for the other. Nothing this person did made any sense, why would anyone give him something without an expectation for the gesture to be reciprocated. Then again he didn’t yet know if this person wanted something from him or not.

“What do you want?”

Glancing at Hanasaki’s face it looked like he was trying to figure out what to say. There had to be something this person wanted. No one did anything without the expectation of getting something out of their kind act. If the request was too much he could easily deny the gifts. The only new thing he needed was a new place to live where he couldn’t be disturbed, which was easier said than done.

“ Well since you asked....I want to check something out.” Hanasaki said pulling out something that extended with dashed markings.

“What is that?”

“A tape measurement.”

  


Kobayashi hated this. It felt like he was being looked at under a microscope, why was he even doing this in the first place? Perhaps he was also curious to know how wide the mysterious barrier was. He didn’t look at the measuring instrument Hanasaki was using, it felt uncomfortable to know this person was trying to see how close they could be together. He had to keep himself as calm as possible while Hanasaki moved around him. The last thing he needed was to get so overwhelmed that he attacked the idiot. Sensing Hanasaki was getting to close the barrier reflected his touch.

“Ouch.” Hanasaki said before placing the injured finger to his lips.

A part of him wanted to ask if he was okay while the other part of him wanted to yell at the idiot for even attempting to touch him.

“Well, now we know you have a radius of 30 cm.”

Those words had no meaning to him, still, he felt so conscious about his body. Looking at the mark Hanasaki placed down the space didn’t look nearly as big as it felt. This thing that separated him from everything around him couldn’t be condensed to the small circle that Hanasaki had drawn. It irked him to no end how simple this seemed to the other.

“I wonder if you know that I’m trying to touch you if it will reject me again.”

“Idiot.”

Kobayashi wondered why he was being looked at with so much interest. To him this ability wasn’t interesting or made him amazing it only prevented him from being killed. Taking a deep breath he relaxed as cerulean eyes asked for permission to test out the theory. He kept his eyes on Hanasaki in front of him this time. Taking in everything he watched the cautious steps moving closer towards him. Focused on the hand that was outstretched not sure of what else to do. The closer Hanasaki got the more his heart began to pound.

“Stay calm. Stay calm.” He chanted in his mind over and over.

Thoughts about all the times any living thing that got close to him and was killed seized him in an instant. Petrified he continued to recall those moments. Like nightmares, they haunted him and now with Hanasaki getting close, he worried that those moments would replay again.

“NO! DON’T COME NEAR ME!” He yelled as the familiar tug at the pit of his stomach appeared.

“It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not!” He said jumping back.

With a loud boom, the barrier sliced the headless angel statue behind him. As the statue fell towards him it crumbled as it connected with the barrier.  Pressure tugged below the surface of his eyes, yet he refused to cry. He couldn’t be seen crying in front of Hanasaki again. That statute had given him a sense of safety that would never be replaced. It was the closest thing to a friend he had allowed himself to have after all this time. The thing that once stood as a calming presence in his isolated life now was scattered along the ground.

“Look what you did.” He spoke softly hoping that the words weren’t hitched from holding back the tears.

“I’m sorry.”

“Leave me alone!.... I want to die... I want to die. I want to die.”

He couldn’t remain calm, he was at a breaking point. The trembling within his body couldn’t be contained even as he hugged his knees. The ache in his legs denied him any chance of running away. Vicious pounding of his heart made it seem like it would only be seconds until his heart leaped out of his chest. Over and over again images of injured animals replayed in his mind. He needed to be alone. It was taking every last bit of energy not to burst into loud sobs at the pain he was feeling deep down.

“Kobayashi....”

“GO AWAY!”

His eyes widened as the barrier sent Hanasaki flying backward. A thud upon impact stilled his movements.

“I killed him.” He thought horrified.

“Don’t make a move!” Ordered a man holding a gun.

Even if guns couldn’t kill him Kobayashi did as he was told. There was something in the green eyes of the stranger that told him it was best to not make a sound. Hugging his knees tighter he hoped that this stranger would take away Hanasaki. The less time he spent with the dead body the better.

Through the cover of his bangs, he watched as the stranger approached Hanasaki while keeping the gun pointed at him.

“Hanasaki. Are you alright?” The dark haired stranger asked.

Relief swept over him when a groan came from Hanasaki.

“Inoue?... What are you doing here?” Hanasaki asked rubbing the back of his head.

“What are you doing getting involved with a dangerous person like this?”

Dangerous, that’s what he always thought of himself yet it was jarring to hear it be spat out by another.

“You’ve got it wrong Inoue.”

“I saw him attack you.”

The dark hair stranger was right. He had attacked him out of fear. Even if he had no control over this it was still his fault. Everything was always his fault. He was better off alone, better off dead. If he could die he would plead for the dark haired stranger to shoot him instead of threatening him. The glares he was receiving from the dark haired stranger pierced his heart. Hanasaki was alive somehow, even so what would happen the next time he couldn’t control himself? He was a  monster. This proved that Hanasaki was wrong about him.

“I’m a horrible person. I deserve to die. I’m a horrible person. I deserve to die.” He thought. 

//

“He didn’t attack me.” Hanasaki spoke as forcefully as he could.

His head ached from the hitting the ground. Recalling one of his mottos “pain means that you’re alive” he knew he had to clear up the misunderstanding before things escalated. Looking over at Kobayashi he could tell the boy was retreating into himself, something he knew all too well.

“You expect me to believe that when I saw it with my own eyes?” Inoue demanded.

Hanasaki knew that Inoue was acting out of concern rather than his usual logic. Deep down he appreciated the fact that Inoue was saving him from a perceived  threat, but Kobayashi was obviously suffering from this misunderstanding. Kobayashi was not to be at blame for this. It was his own stupidity and curiosity that had given him this headache. If he had just left things alone things would’ve been different.

“Inoue put down the gun. Kobayashi isn’t a threat. I was being stupid. You know how much of an idiot I can be.”

“You are a complete imbecile for getting yourself in this situation.”

Inoue didn’t seem like he was going to lower the gun, he had to do something. Mindful of his aching head he rose to his feet. Dizziness threatened to bring him back down, however, he remained on his feet and smiled.

“Look I am fine.” He said as he gingerly walked between Inoue and Kobayashi. “Lower your gun. Please.”

He wouldn’t move from this stance though it took everything within him to not fall back down.This pain was nothing that he couldn’t handle. With a wide smile plastered on his face, he slipped the gun out of Inoue’s hand. Having the weapon in his possession made him feel more at ease.

“I’m sorry about all of this you two....If we all just calm down I would like to retry introductions.”

Inoue was obviously searching his face for something. It wasn’t anything new and he had nothing to hide anymore. He believed in the good in everyone. Kobayashi and Inoue were good people even if they didn’t see each other as such.

“This will be reported to Akechi.” Inoue said sternly.

“That’s fair.”

“We need to go. I’m expecting a client in a half an hour.”

“Please leave.” Kobayashi whispered.

That dull soft tone grasped his heart. As much as he didn’t want to leave Kobayashi alone he knew his presence wasn’t going to help. Times like these he felt no more than an annoyance who caused trouble.

“I’m sorry about today Kobayashi. I’ll make it up to you ...somehow.”

“Just go.”

Giving a small nod he led Inoue out of the abandoned building. A tense silence hung between them as they got into the car. More than anything he hated negativity between his friends. If Kobayashi and Inoue had met under different circumstances perhaps they would’ve bonded over the fact they thought he was a complete idiot.

“How did you find me?”

“I asked Noro to track your location. There was something going on with you ...”

“Aww, you were worried about me.” He teased.

“Akechi would have my head if you were in serious trouble. I don’t know what you were thinking pulling a stunt like this.”

“Do you think I messed up?”

“Yes.”

“You’re heartless today.”

“And you’re brainless.” Inoue said in a matter of fact tone.

The ache of his head didn’t hold a candle to the ache in his heart. It would be a miracle if he was forgiven for today’s incident. He wouldn’t leave Kobayashi this way, he couldn’t. If there was any way to turn around he would do anything he could to reassure Kobayashi that things were the fault of himself alone.

#########

Author Notes:  
Hope you guys are liking this story. I recently watched episode 13 and I think it's getting back to what I liked about the series. Who knows what's going to happen from here on out. 


	4. To Be Alone

 

The thudding of the rain soothed Kobayashi’s upset. Breaking down in front of Hanasaki and the green-eyed stranger was one of the worst possible things he could do. He wanted to die for not keeping himself together.  He had felt so weak ,but now it was back to nothing more than a numb sensation. It was frustrating how easily his emotions went from uncontrollable to muted. The rain seemed to come down harder and harder around him.  This sudden downpour wasn’t doing anything for the emptiness that held a permanent resident within. Kobayashi refused to let his mind assault him with the events that involved the idiot. His eyelids felt heavy from the lack of sleep. If he slept he was sure he would only see Hanasaki’s lifeless body and hear the green eye stranger yell at him for being a monster.  He could survive without sleep for a while. Nothing in the world could force him to face the nightmares that were bound to repeat. 

  
  


//

“Inoue tells me that you’ve been sneaking around lately.” Akechi said as he placed a cigarette into his mouth.

“I wasn’t sneaking around. I was visiting a friend.”

“A friend?”

“Yes.”

“And it was this..friend that attacked you?”

“He didn’t attack me. It was a misunderstanding. I’m fine.”

Truthfully he still felt sore from the whole experience. It wasn’t the first or the last time he would’ve been tossed on his back like that,although the force was much more than he recalled before. Plus there were deep purple bruises on his back.

“I think we should get an examination of that brain of yours since you obviously can’t follow rules. I have half a mind to put you on probation.”

“Kobayashi is not a threat!”

“Then what is he? I can tell you’re avoiding to lay back against the couch. What he did to you was more severe than you’re letting on. How can I not think of someone attacking a member of our group as a threat?”

“It wasn’t his fault.”

Hanasaki wasn’t sure how much to tell Akechi. It felt like he was betraying Kobayashi’s trust, but if he couldn’t explain what really happened without talking about the invincible power. Even if he managed to come up with a compelling lie Akechi would continue to pry the truth out of him, he was one of the best detectives he knew.

“Kobayashi....He has this power. I don’t know what to call it, but it’s like this barrier that prevents him from getting hurt or dying.”

“You’re delusional. I should’ve sent you to a hospital.” Akechi said pinching the bridge of his nose.

“I’m serious. I saw him survive a fall from a tall building. It is truly amazing.”

“Then why did he attack you?”

“His barrier has a radius of 30 cm. I was trying to see how close I could get to him before being rejected and he freaked out. ....He says that he can’t control it.”

“So you thought it was a good idea to spend time with someone who had uncontrollable mysterious powers?”

“Getting involved with someone that dangerous is beyond ridiculous.” Inoue chimed in.

“I agree. We’ve gone over this before.”

“A total thrill junkie.” Noro’s voice added.

Hanasaki didn’t really mind how everyone was ganging up on him. They all had their points it was very dangerous and stupid in their eyes. He couldn’t blame them for going on the defensive. Not to mention the whole idea of mysterious powers would be questioned by anyone sane. Detectives were prone to solid logic and this was clearly beyond what they had dealt with in the past.

“I am curious however about this invincible kid.” Akechi said as he pressed the cigarette into the ashtray. 

He wasn’t sure how to respond. 

“Answer me this Hanasaki, why are you so invested in this kid?”

Why was a question he had yet to truthfully answer for himself. He cared very much for Kobayashi, still what he felt for him was a mystery. For now, he assumed it was friendship and willing to help that pushed him to seek out the other.

“I want to help him somehow. He says that he wants to die...”

“...I don’t know if meddling in those affairs is wise. I’m not sure if he wants your help.”

Akechi’s words cut a little too deep. He hadn’t really thought about what Kobayashi wanted or didn’t want. There was no way that he could leave Kobayashi out of his life,even so he knew that he couldn’t keep things the way they had been going. 

“You’re right.”

“Of course I am. That being said I would like to meet this kid.”

“Are you sure?” Inoue asked.

“I can handle a kid invincible or not.”

Hanasaki felt like he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Inoue already had his mind made up about Kobayashi, but he was hopeful that Akechi would welcome him. 

“Let me talk to him alone first.” He said.

“That is fine.”

 

///

Not wanting any repetition of the past few days with the idiot showing up out of the blue Kobayashi decided to leave his home. With a couple buns in his pocket he slipped out of the hole in the wall that surrounded. This place was no longer a safe heaven. Two people now knew that he was taking shelter here ,which meant it was only a matter of time before  he would be chased out. Before anything happened he needed to find another place to hide. With the harsh rain he doubted anyone would be stepping outside today. 

There were only a few times in which he actually appreciated his mysterious destructive barrier. The barrier allowed him easy access into locked abandoned buildings and kept the rough weather from soaking him to the bone. Step after step he barely could sense the water that puddled on the ground or the rising wind. How far he had walked was hard to tell through the water droplets that formed around him. He continued on his way until he found another abandoned construction site. He could tell it was abandoned from the walls that surrounded covered in bright scribbles. This place wasn’t as nice as his current living area as the ground was covered in mud due to the rain. He had no complaints though about the large machines that were left behind. He wondered if people would return to them once the weather was cleared and if so he couldn’t live here. He approached the dull yellow machines, curiously wondering what they were even made for. The taller one held a large round ball,whatever these were used for he wondered if they would kill him. The only thing that stopped him from trying it out was his lack of ability to operate the machinery. 

By the way the rain made the muddy puddles splash he could tell it was starting to rain harder. Forgetting about the machines for now he went to scope out the remains of the building. There was barely anything left in the building. Compared to his current living situation this was a wreck with crumbling walls and trash littered all over. 

“I need to find somewhere else.”

Kobayashi was used to living minimalistic but by the looks of this place he doubted it would be around for long. There were limited options. If he decided to remain living in the Ferris Wheel cart then he ran the risk of never having a isolated life ever again.

“Things would be better if he just left me alone.”

  
  


///

Hanasaki didn’t know if it was wise to return to the abandoned building he was sure was Kobayashi’s home. Things always seemed to end horribly when he involved himself with the invincible boy. Still he couldn’t go against Akechi’s orders to retrieve him. Sure it wouldn’t have been the first time he went against orders,but there was more at stake if he didn’t cooperate. Akechi had tight connections with the police and if he wanted to he could issue a warrant for Kobayashi’s arrest. Hanasaki knew that things would only get ugly if that were to occur. The bruises on his spine spoke volumes of what Kobayashi’s power was capable if only slightly provoked he couldn’t imagine what would happen if a swat team approached the frightened boy. He needed to speak to Kobayashi before anything like that would come into effect. For now it was safer to play to Akechi’s curiosity. 

The harsh rain had gone unnoticed until Hanasaki stepped out of the club’s base. Shivering he blamed himself for not paying attention to the weather reports. Without an umbrella he ran out towards the nearest covering. Quick dashes between dry spots he set off to see Kobayashi. The rain made it hard to see as the wind swept his heavy bangs into his eyes. 

“A little water never killed anyone.” He said pushing back his hair for the millionth time. 

Even as his shoes filled with water he didn’t stop. Nothing could prevent him from seeing Kobayashi. 

  
  


//

Kobayashi continued to watch the dance of falling rain under the shelter of the destroyed building. Although rain wasn’t much of a problem he still didn’t feel like walking through the storm like weather. A loud boom made him jump. The boom sounded like it came from the sky as it echoed ominously around him. Hugging his knees closer to his body and pulling up the hood of his jacket was the only thing he could do against the menacing sound. He wished he’d stayed in the comfort of his home, but this was necessary. He needed to get away even if that meant deserting all that he had become use to. It was selfish of him to think that he could be given gifts and not face any consequences from them. He didn’t deserve anything other than to be left alone.

 

///

There was no silver haired boy resting on the top of the stairs when Hanasaki finally made it to the abandoned building. He doubted Kobayashi would be outside with the harsh weather, which led him to the conclusion that the boy with the Ruby eyes was somewhere on the many floors of the building. 

“He better not be on the very top floor.” He sighed as began his ascent on the staircase. 

Floor after floor he looked. It reminded him of impromptu ‘hide and seek’ game they had played days before. From the sixth floor up there was large gaps in the stairway. Hanasaki wondered how Kobayashi had managed to get as high up as the roof with the warned out stairs. It wasn’t as if there was still an operational elevator in this building. He decided to take a break before descending the stairs. Obviously the building was devoid of Kobayashi’s presence.

“Where is he?” 

His heart sunk at the thought of Kobayashi running away because of him. 

“I shouldn’t have meddled in his life.”

A sharp pain in his heart made itself known. It was a feeling he hadn’t experienced since he was a child. He would never forgive himself for those moments he had ruined another person’s life. Hanasaki was alright with the fact that people leave, but to force someone out of his life wasn’t something he could stomach for a second time. He needed to remain positive.

“He’ll be back.” He told himself as he played with the rubble that once was a gorgeous statue.

 

// 

The rain stopped almost instantly. Weather was a strange concept that he didn’t quite understand. There was many things he didn’t understand, even so he was sure that eventually they would all be meaningless. The only thing he had to figure out was a way to get rid of this thing that prevented him from dying. Death was all he needed in life. The monotonous ongoings were nothing more than an effort to pass time while he figured things out. 

Not wanting to stay in this dump any longer than he needed he set out. Sun peered through the gloom , creating an array of colors in the sky. He’d never seen anything so beautiful before. As more clouds began to give way to a bright blue sky he was reminded of the cerulean eyes of a certain idiot. The flicker of emotion within him was ignored as he set off to go home. 

As he made his way a flash of orange was in his peripheral vision. Quickly ducking into a nearby alleyway he waited. Peering out he noticed that it was just a woman wearing a hideous orange jacket. 

“Tch.” He clicked his tongue. 

When he caught a glimpse of another flash of orange he didn’t dive into hiding. 

“If I run away every time I see that color I will forever be taunted by it.” He thought as he continued on his way. 

Moving the hood of his jacket closer to cover his face he didn’t look back. Now that the rain had ended more and more people were starting to come out of nearby buildings. If he kept going at his quick strides he would be able to avoid massive crowds. He could hear chatter as the streets were slowly being filled with people. He wished that the rain would return so he could be alone. Just seconds ago the street was empty, he’d liked the lack of passersby. 

“Don’t they have anything better to do?” He thought as a group of girls chatted and giggled loudly. 

He wondered if his mysterious power also granted him invisibility. Each person he saw didn’t pay him any attention as they went on their way. He wasn’t in anyway acknowledge not a strange look or a smile. 

“It’s not like I care.”

He’d never thought about being noticed by others aside of being caught while searching for food in the trash. Not being noticed was what he liked, it made him safe. Nobody cared about him so there was no reason to expect a stranger to ask where he was going. He couldn’t care less if passersby  knew he existed or not. As far as he was concerned he didn’t belong to the same world in which they lived. He was alone. Even in a crowd of people he would always be alone.

 

//

Hanasaki wasn’t sure how long it took for the rain to subside. The lack of heat in the abandoned building was definitely starting to take effect as he sneezed. He could only blame himself for running around in pouring rain and deciding to remain in soaked clothes as he waited for Kobayashi’s return. 

“I really should get a change of clothes.” 

Waiting around any longer would be running the risk of being too sick to hang out with Kobayashi or take on interesting missions now that Akechi was back. He prided himself on not taking sick days so there was no choice to come back to catch the elusive silver-haired boy. 

The weight of his wet clothes felt uncomfortable as he moved through the ‘hidden’ exit of Kobayashi’s home. A horrible squishing sound came from his own feet with each step he took. He had half a mind to walk barefoot down the street ,but that wasn’t the best solution. A rainbow found its way into the sky brightening up his mood. He’d always loved the sight of rainbows since he was young. His brother use to tell him that it took both rain and sunshine for a rainbow  to appear. It was a saying that he’d learn the true meaning of as he got older. Just as rain was needed for a rainbow so was pain needed in life.  With his brothers words in mind he moved along the steadily filling sidewalks.

He felt like a drowning rat compared to the others who were for the most part dry. A few sideways glances from bystanders told him that he looked as soaked as he felt. If he had opted to wear something besides his favorite orange jumpsuit perhaps he would’ve been able to wring out some of the water that collected in his clothes. 

“Maybe I should buy an umbrella.”

Something caught his eye, something silver, which made him stop in his tracks. Turning around he saw silver hair peeping out of a black baggy hoodie. The person also had on baggy cargo shorts and no shoes. The limited fair skin that could be seen let him know that the person definitely was Kobayashi. He didn’t know what was the best approach. He couldn’t startle him, there were a few people around that he had to be aware of. If circumstances were different he would launch into a hug and beg for forgiveness once again.

“Kobayashi.” He called out.

When Kobayashi didn’t turn around he called out again. The second time Kobayashi did turn around and he was met with a glare. 

“If looks could kill.” He thought as he approached.

“Don’t call out my name like that.” Kobayashi warned with a harsher glare.

“I had to make sure it was you.”

He studied Kobayashi’s face as it took in the sight of him. Despite a lack of an umbrella, Kobayashi looked completely dry. He wondered if it was because of the mysterious power or if Kobayashi had managed to find a place to hide out the rain.

“Why are you all wet?” 

“I got caught in the pouring rain.”

Without a word, Kobayashi continued to walk away.

“Wait. I’m sorry about everything.”

A loud revving of a motorcycle interrupted his words. 

“Thief! Someone stop him!” A woman yelled out.

“Let’s go.” He said to Kobayashi before running after the culprit. 

Using his pendant he searched for a map to determine the possible routes the attacker was going to take. Hanasaki thought it was ridiculous that someone would pull a stunt like this only moments after a rain storm. Determining the route he ran as quick as he could with the extra weight to his outfit. Kobayashi didn’t seem to have the same amount of stamina as he wheezed once they stopped running.

“Alright, I need your help, Kobayashi.”

“What?”

“I want you to stop the motorcycle when it comes around the corner.”

“How?”

“Just stand there.” He pointed to the edge of the nearly empty street. 

He hoped that his calculations would be just right to stop the thief without endangering anyone. He knew that the barrier around Kobayashi had a radius of 30 cm which he hoped would only cause damage to the bike if the rider didn’t swerve out of the way. 

“Trust me. When I say jump out.” He said at Kobayashi’s skeptical face.

Like clockwork, the motorcycle turned the corner. Ready to make any move he watched as the motorcyclist came closer towards Kobayashi. He had to trust that he knew what he was doing if this plan was going to work.

“Now!.” He yelled.

Kobayashi threw himself in front of the bike just as Hanasaki shot his miniature grappling hook around the cyclist. In one quick motion he pulled the cyclist off as the bike smashed into the barrier. Luckily there was no audience to worry about. Tying the cyclist's hands behind his back he called for the Inoue to come take care of things. The entire front of the motorcycle was smashed as if it had hit a solid wall. He was relieved that the cyclist didn’t receive any damage from the impact.

“Are you okay?” He asked his silver-haired assistant.

“I’m fine.”

“I’m relieved to hear that.” He smiled.

 

//

Kobayashi didn’t know what it was that made him follow after the idiot or go along with the ridiculous plan he created. There wasn’t much he could do if the vague plan backfired. When he was told to jump out he wondered if the person would survive the mysterious power he possessed. For now he had to trust that the idiot knew what he was doing. When the jumped out he closed his eyes not wanting to know if he’d killed someone or not. The sound of the thing that the person was on went from an annoying clattering to a solid boom as it connected with his protection. 

“Are you okay?” He heard the idiot speak a moment later.

Opening his eyes he was shocked to see the warped remains of the vehicle without traces of blood. Somehow he had managed not to kill someone. 

“I’m fine.” He responded.

“I’m relieved to hear that.”

There was that smile again on Hanasaki’s face. Distracted he placed his hand on the sharp metal around him. Something stung making him quickly move his hand away. Glancing at his hand he saw that there was a small cut on the palm of his hand. Blood slipped from the cut. It was a strange sensation as he could feel his heartbeat in that little cut. Before he could say anything  a black car appeared.

“Do you ever stop making messes?” Asked the green-eyed stranger to Hanasaki.

Kobayashi kept his attention on the tingling of the cut rather than the conversation. He wasn’t sure if he was even welcomed around the green-eyed stranger after yesterday's events, not that he could blame the man. The stranger wasn’t a large concern compared to the new found cut on his hand. It made no sense for him to be injured. There had been countless times where he’d tried to impale himself on sharp objects. Oddly when he tried to pierce his other hand on the same sharp metal his barrier prevented the touch. Unusually the sharp metal wasn’t forcefully repelled only warping out of his touch. 

“Kobayashi?” Hanasaki asked.

“Yes?” He asked as he pushed down the sleeve of his jacket to cover up his hand.

Hanasaki gave a concerned look before continuing to talk. 

“I would like to officially introduce you to Inoue, Ryo he’s a member of the  Boy’s Detective Club.”

The person Hanasaki introduced was dressed professionally which matched the seriousness written all over his face. Whoever this Inoue person was it was obvious that he didn’t like him. Those green eyes were piercing in it’s harsh look complimented with a scowl. He could've gone without meeting this person again especially since their last encounter dealt with a gun pointed at him. 

“Inoue will be taking care of the rest of this.”

“You are not leaving me with your mess!”

Kobayashi didn’t know what the relationship between these two were nor did he really want to know. The two were obvious close ,which as looking to be a promising distraction for him to run away. The longer he stayed besides the idiot the more likely it was that things were going to go awry. If he left now he wouldn’t have to deal with anything the idiot was sure to drag him into.

“Do you know how much work your stunt is going to cost us?”

“Relax Inoue there wasn’t any witnesses to the crash.”

With the conversation starting to heat up even more Kobayashi took the time to slowly slip away. He had managed to back up a bit before someone cleared their throat, which alerted the two fighting to his attempt of running away. Turning around he saw who stopped his escape. The man beside him stood tall with a beard and long hair tied back. Common sense told him that he could still make a break for it if he really wanted to. 

“He’s very interesting I’ll give you that.” The tall man spoke.

“Kobayashi this is Akechi. He’s in charge of the Boy’s Detective Club.” Hanasaki beamed.

He didn’t know what to do. Looking between all of them he felt cornered. The last thing he wanted was to meet anymore of the people Hanasaki knew. Not being able to take it anymore he ran away. The confusion on all their faces as his barrier ripped right through a nearby metal fence was the last thing he saw as he kept running. It was becoming more and more evident that he wouldn’t be freed from the orange menace. Someone or something was playing a cruel joke on him. Even though he knew it would be a matter of time before Hanasaki caught up to him he didn’t slow down. At this point he didn’t even know where he was running to. Anywhere was better than being surrounded by unfamiliar faces. He wanted to be alone. 

“Kobayashi wait!” Hanasaki said as he jumped out from a corner. “You can’t keep running away from me.”

“Why not?” He asked as he caught his breath.

“Because I know all possible escape routes.” Hanasaki grinned.

Kobayashi wasn’t sure if Hanasaki’s statement was true or not.

“I’m sorry for everything... You have to admit that we make a good team...So would you like to become a part of the Boy’s Detective Club?”

  
  
  



	5. Unknown Stirrings

 

"Achoo!” Hanasaki sneezed.

"If you’re sick go home" Inoue scolded.

"I’m not sick. Someone is probably just talking about me.” Hanasaki said as he wiped his nose.

"At least have the decency of wearing a mask.” Inoue said holding out a box of medical masks.

Inoue was always so prepared. Hanasaki knew that it was possible that he was getting sick due to running around in soaked clothing for most of yesterday. Regardless he didn’t want to sit out just incase Akechi was feeling generous with missions. Of course, he was lucky not to be put on probation after his incidents with Kobayashi. Things hadn’t turned out so bad considering all the things that could’ve gone wrong from his own negligent.

“That kid has some potential.” Akechi said as he walked into the room. “I think it would be best to put him in our care.”

“You can’t be serious! He is uncontrollable, a complete danger!” Inoue objected.

“And what would be better to have a danger on the street or under our thumb?”

“Kobayashi isn’t a danger!”

No matter how many times he said this it often went unheard by the two older detectives in the room.

“Hanasaki I understand where you’re coming from but a fact is a fact. That kid could be more trouble in the future if we don’t do anything to detain him now.”

“That’s why I asked him to become part of our club.”

“You did what?! That’s completely irresponsible to invite someone dangerous into our affairs.”

“He’s not dangerous if you keep your distance.”

He regretted those words as soon as they left his mouth. Luckily Kobayashi wasn’t in the room to hear them.

“I’d prefer it if you didn’t decide on such things by yourself, however,   I think it would be valuable to have the kid be a part of our club.”Akechi said exhaling a puff of smoke.

“This is ridiculous.” Inoue said before leaving.

Hanasaki wasn’t sure if he should do more to convince Inoue that Kobayashi would be an asset to their club.

“Don’t worry about him. He’ll come around. You should take more care of yourself.”

“I take care of myself.” He said placing the mask onto his face.

“ You have a bad habit of not using that brain of yours....I hope you know what you’ve gotten yourself into.”

Truthfully he didn’t know what he was getting into. All he could hope was that things wouldn’t come back to bite him in the butt later in life.  Removing the useless mask he went off to find the soon to be the newest member of the Boy’s Detectives Club.  


///

“Do you want to be a part of the Boy’s Detective Club?” Hanasaki’s question had come out of nowhere and tormented him late into the evening. He had no reason to join the club. He just wanted to continue things in the way they had before he’d met the orange clothed idiot. Luckily he wasn’t pressed to give an answer right away, but that didn’t mean that he would agree to such a ridiculous idea. All the time in the world to think it over wouldn’t change his mind.

Perhaps sleep deprivation was getting to him because when the idiot showed up he made no effort to escape or ignore him.

 

“So have you thought about joining the club?” Hanasaki asked as he offered a hot meal.

Quickly snatching the meal he held onto it tight before responding. He had been plagued with thoughts of joining the club, still his answer was an unwavering no. Hanasaki was sure not to accept that answer so he needed to have the meal in his grasps before it was revoked.

“No.” He said as he removed the wrapping.

“No you didn’t think about it or no is your answer?”

“No is my answer.”

Kobayashi bit into the unknown food that looked like some sort of sandwich. It was tasty.

“You always get so excited when you eat.” Hanasaki laughed.

The comment went ignored as he continued to eat.  The only good thing about this person was that apologies were paid in food. Ever new dish that he was introduced to he both loved and hated. The tasty food was beyond description to his taste buds and yet he always doubted if he would again be able to taste it. If he agreed to be part of the club would he remain to be gifted with this food? In any matter, he was prepared for the worse. He knew how to survive alone and with the ever growing stash of buns and other small treats he had saved up he could stretch out the food for a few weeks if he needed to. The sooner this relationship ended the better, he needed to be able to continue living without the desire of fresh food. As he finished up the food in his hands he noticed how he didn’t savor or divide up the food he got anymore. He was becoming too reliant on Hanasakis’ ‘generosity’.

“You have some egg on your face.” Hanasaki said.

Using his sleeve he wiped his face, earning him a disappointed look from the person besides him.

“You could’ve used a napkin.”

“Napkin?”

“These.” Hanasaki said lifting up a napkin and wiping his own mouth.

He didn’t know what the big deal was as his sleeve was just as efficient as the thin thing Hanasaki called a napkin.

“You’re very interesting Kobayashi...How about you join me on a mission. We made such a great team the other day I think we can handle a simple case what do you say?”

“Fine.”

Sleep deprivation was definitely getting to him. Normally he would make a fuss and Hanasaki would continue to push him to join, but he had no energy to do it today.  
  


//

Hanasaki was ecstatic to have so easily convinced Kobayashi to join him along for a mission. After seeing how well they could work together yesterday he was starting to think more and more about how it would be if Kobayashi would become a detective. Sure there was still things that he was worried about bringing Kobayashi into the world of a detective, still, the silver haired boy held potential. Plus it helped that Akechi’s curiosity was still present. Repatching relationships between Inoue and Kobayashi would be hard, but not entirely impossible.  

“Things are going to work out.” He thought with a smile.

//

 

“Wasn’t it fun to stop the bad guy and save the day?”

Kobayashi was at a loss for words. He didn’t truly understand what the other was talking about. Personally, he hadn’t contributed much to the mission at all. There was something in the back of his mind that made him feel so self-conscious throughout the whole thing. At every step of the way, he had to follow after Hanasaki and constantly be told to try not destroy anything. He was sure it was by pure luck alone that they had managed to stop the person from poisoning some guy Hanasaki said was important. The most he did was find out how the poison was going to be brought to the target after he’d eaten something that forcefully came back up.

 

Hanasaki had a bad habit of blabbering on and on. It was enough chatter to make him die of boredom, that is if he could die. He only half listened to what the idiot was going on about, but something caught his attention. Something seemed off about the idiot in front of him. At first, it was a strange pause and the happy tone growing weaker.There was a slight swaying in his moves and there was a glossy look in his eyes.

“What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing.” Hanasaki smiled.

Even the smile was off. Whatever was going on Hanasaki was forcing himself to be there.

“I need to sit down.”

Kobayashi watched as Hanasaki took his time to sit down. The energy that usually radiated off of him was diminishing by the second. Hanasaki seemed so far away despite being only a few spaces away from him. He heard Hanasaki’s breathing turning rapid before he saw Hanasaki fall back. Something was definitely wrong.

“Wake up idiot.”

Hanasaki wasn’t responding. His face looked to be turning red.

“Hanasaki?”

//

 

The world was spinning as Hanasaki made his way to sit besides Kobayashi. Before he knew it his eyes were shut tight. He could feel the heat of his face rising, His head was starting to pound painfully. He silently cursed himself for not taking any precautionary measures against illness. His immune system was usually so good at keeping things at bay. Now everything was hitting him like a ton of bricks and he could barely think straight. Peering through half-lid eyes he saw an unreadable expression on Kobayashi’s face. He wanted to let the invincible boy know that he was alright. How he wished he could force himself to jump up and prove that his sickness wasn’t getting to him.

The pounding of his heart and head made it hard to hear what Kobayashi was saying. Hanasaki knew that he had to get medicine in his system if he had any hope of not being confined to his room for days on end. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out his Boy’s Detective Club pendant that doubled as a phone. Inoue was always the person he called during times like this. Akechi often was gone or not willing to help him out. It was nothing personal as Akechi had given him the rule that whether he lived or died was his responsibility on the first day he was accepted into the club. Even with that rule the club members always helped him out of tough situations.  


//

“Call Inoue.” Hanasaki whispered as he handed Kobayashi his ringing pendant.

Not knowing what was going on he followed the instruction. The moment he grabbed the pendant from Hanasaki the voice of the green-eyed man answered.

“What is it Hanasaki?” The voice grumbled.

“He’s acting strangely. I don’t know what’s wrong with him, he told me to call you.” He spoke in a matter of fact tone.

“Where are you?”

Kobayashi didn’t know what to tell him as all that was familiar was the vending machine nearby.

“Don’t move I’ll get Noro to track your location.”

There was nothing else said so he turned his attention back onto Hanasaki. Hanasaki was definitely still alive, but he couldn’t understand what happened to him in such a short time. For a second he wondered if the idiot had eaten something that wasn't supposed to be eaten.

In what seemed like a blink of an eye a black car approached them. He could feel himself tense when the car stopped in front of them. He relaxed slightly when the green-eyed man came out of the car along with the man with a beard and long hair.

“Nice to see you again kid.” The bearded man said.

“Akechi...” Hanasaki called out.

“You never make things easy for us do you?”

Unmoving he watched as the bearded man picked up Hanasaki. The green eyed man didn’t lift his gaze from Kobayashi as they made their way to the car.

“Come along kid we don’t have all day.”

Tentatively he entered the car. Keeping his legs close to his chest he hoped that his protection wouldn’t act up from riding in a car for the first time. To his left, he saw the bearded man place a hand onto Hanasaki’s forehead. He wasn’t sure what the point of that action was, but the man appeared displeased with whatever the touch told him. Something within sprung up at the sight of the bearded man pulling Hanasaki closer to his body, resting Hanasaki’s head on his shoulder.  Kobayashi doubted he could ever do something like that even if he didn’t have a barrier around him.  Still, he felt useless against the suffering that was on Hanasaki’s face.

  


They drove for a little while before he was told to get out. Half of him expected to be dropped off near his home, but as he stepped out he noted that the building in front of him was not his home. The building stood taller than the abandoned one he frequented. He wondered if a fall from the roof top would be more effective due to the extra height.

“So what was your name again kid?” The bearded man asked.

“...Kobayashi, Yoshio.”

“Well, Kobayashi thank you for calling us. This idiot is constantly causing us trouble.” The bearded man said as he adjusted his hold on Hasaki.

“That’s not fair Akechi.” Hanasaki mumbled.

Kobayashi followed as Akechi brought Hanasaki into a room and laid him on a bed. The green-eyed man entered with a water bottle and other things that he couldn’t recognize. Silently he paid close attention to the two men instructing Hanasaki to take something they called medicine and place a patch on Hanasaki’s forehead.

“I told you-you should've stayed home if you were sick.” The green-eyed man said to Hanasaki.

“ If I did that I would miss out on you two taking care of me.”

That unknown feeling was swimming around again. Kobayashi wished that he could just get rid of whatever it was that he was feeling.

“Congratulations. You are the proud new member of the Boy’s Detectives Club.” Akechi said placing besides him a pendant that looked like Hanasaki’s, only differing in color from blue to red.  “There are a few rules. First, whether you live or you die is your responsibility. Second, don't call me Sensei. Third, don't let your emotions rule you. Fourth, don't disobey me. And fifth, I am the law here end of story."

He didn’t know what to say but nodded in agreement. He still wasn’t sure about becoming a part of whatever this thing was.

“Inoue. Leave the watching to the kid.” Akechi said.

“Are you sure about that?”

“He hasn’t killed him yet. Besides, it’s best to get things done now that Hanasaki’s out of commission.”

Kobayashi was baffled at how easily the older man trusted him to watch over Hanasaki.  He expected more of a reaction like the green eyed one had. And what good was it to have someone who couldn’t touch things without a risk of destruction to take care of Hanasaki in this state?

“Take care of him.” Akechi smirked as he and Inoue left the room.

 

//

With medicine and a cool patch taking care of his fever and headache, Hanasaki was able to once again realize what was happening around him. He knew he was at the base rather than his home. Home wasn’t the best place to be while he was feeling this bad. Akechi most likely knew that if he was sent home he would have to deal with the illness all alone.

“Are you dying?”

The curiosity in Kobayashi’s voice did not go unnoticed.

“I’m just sick.” He said before he had a coughing fit.

He hated how violently the coughs shook his body, leaving his throat scratchy.

“How did you get sick?”

“People get sick for a lot of reasons. I got sick probably because I was running around in wet clothing.”

It felt as though he was explaining sickness to a young child with the questions that Kobayashi had. Despite the aches of having to think so hard he didn’t mind answering the questions. It was the first time he’d seen Kobayashi so interested in something. The talkative side of Kobayashi was also cute, which helped ease the aches.

“Water.” He called out as his voice was starting to get hoarse.  


///

Mindful of the distance of his barrier Kobayashi nudged the water bottle closer to Hanasaki. He didn’t like how much of the idiots’ energy had gone. Everything about him his voice, smile, the brightness of his eyes seemed so dull now. A small part wondered if that was how he looked to others.  More than anything he was curious about what was going on within Hanasaki. Sickness wasn’t something he was experienced in. The protective barrier tended to prevent him from getting drenched or experiencing the full effects of cold nights and hot days. He didn’t understand how getting soaked resulted in this sight before him. If he was able to touch Hanasaki he wondered what it would feel like. He wondered if he too would become sick from staying besides him.

Hanasaki was a talkative person even when he wasn’t feeling well. That fact alone proved to him that the idiot would recover.

//

Gazing at Kobayashi’s hand pushing the water bottle closer to him he noticed a small cut on the palm of his hand.

“How did you get that cut?”

“It was from yesterday.. I touched the sharp metal.”

Hanasaki knew that it was a long shot to convince Kobayashi that by joining the detective club he would be able to fulfill the invincible boy’s dream of death. He also knew that correlation does not mean causation. Just because Kobayashi had somehow managed to get injured while they were doing ‘detective’ work didn’t mean that injury would be an ongoing result. He wondered if Kobayashi was aware of this fallacy, even so, if there was any way to convince Kobayashi this was it. He doubted the bribery of food alone would sustain the silver-haired boy much longer. He was curious to know what had resulted in the small cut considering that even a simple touch was usually deflected by the barrier Kobayashi possessed.

“ If you join the club... I promise I’ll find a way to kill you.”

 

//

“If you join I promise that I’ll find a way to kill you.”

In a different circumstance, he would’ve denied the possibility of Hanasaki being able to kill him. However, the small cut on his hand stood as proof that he could at least be injured while around Hanasaki. He refused to get his hopes up, even if this was the closest he thought he’d get to actually fulfilling his wish.

“Are you serious?”

“To be honest I don't want you to die. I want to see you live to have many friends and a happy life. Still, I’ll help you in any way I can... I ...I care for you.”

Kobayashi didn’t know what he felt it was as if his mind was in a fog searching for the right way to react.Being around Hanasaki made him experience unknown feelings. He could tell it differed from the usual depression that clung to his heart. There were no words to express any of the new feelings Hanasaki brought up within him. It mostly annoyed him to not know what was going on inside of himself. Isolation had taught him that there weren't many emotions other than sadness within him. He was use to his meaningless life, but he was starting to notice the changes within. It was all because of this idiot in an orange jumpsuit.

“Tch” he clicked his tongue in annoyance.

Even that new action was starting to become a habit.if only he could throw himself off a bridge and drown to rid himself of this situation. He wanted his isolated life back. Why was he as unlucky to have been brought to meet such a strange individual. The way Hanasaki spoke and lived so carefree vexed him. Hanasaki could have anything the world could offer while he was suffering for merely existing in the world.he didn’t know why he was doing this. Was it for food? Up until now, he didn’t need any handouts from anyone.being alone was what he liked, he didn't need anyone. So why was he following this person’s every whim? Helping out didn't guarantee him anything, not food or his freedom from his meaningless life. All he wanted was to be alone and die. That was all he had. No One could change that especially someone like Hanasaki. Being around people didn’t magically cure anything. It was not about the number of people he could stomach to be around. Hanasaki may have disrupted his isolation but that didn't fix the fact that he was alone.

  
  
  
#####  
Author notes:

Thank you everyone for reading! I was planning to hold off on posting this chapter since I felt that I needed to write in the mission they went on, but couldn't really bring myself to postpone it for something that would definitely be overlooked.  I know the continuous back and forth must be killing you guys. I'm slowly working towards building Kobayashi and Hanasaki's relationship, it'll get there eventually. Since the next chapter is scheduled to be posted on Valentine's day I wanted to do something cute so stay tuned.  I want to meet that deadline for all my lovely fans. Your comments push me to continue writing so give yourselves a pat on the back. May you all have happy Yaoi filled days.


	6. Beyond Comprehension

 

Kobayashi wanted to know why Hanasaki had brought him into this. Becoming a part of this club was still a mystery as he didn't know what was the point. What could he possibly do within this club? He was an untamed destructive force, it was for the best to keep a distance from him. And yet there was this idiot who wouldn’t let things be. Every turn, at every chance given there was that idiot with a smile that made something nudge inside of him. There was something that had continued to unsettle him as a certain moment played over and over in his mind.

It was the moment that Hanasaki had said that he cared about him. What that meant he didn’t know. For as long as he could remember he hadn’t had someone who cared about him.

Such thoughts had extended his lack of sleep for another day.

He hadn’t gotten the chance to ask the meaning of those words before Hanasaki had fallen asleep. Sitting on a chair beside the bed he was forced to watch Hanasaki sleep. If he could he would’ve shaken the pest awake and demand answers. He could scream at him, but Hanasaki’s sleeping faced , which still held a smile, prevented him from doing such a thing. That face looked much better than the face he had when he had collapsed.

 

A long time had passed before Hanasaki woke up. What exactly had kept him in this chair beside the sleeping idiot all this time was unknown. He could’ve left. He should’ve left. Now it was too late.

“You’re still here.” Hanasaki smiled as he woke.

At that comment, something stirred within him. Burying the sensation deep down he refused to give it another thought. He needed to stop thinking about every strange feeling he had, they didn’t mean anything and they disappeared just as quickly as they appeared.

“I thought you would’ve left as soon as I fell asleep.” Hanasaki said lifting himself into a sitting position.

Kobayashi didn’t know how to react. He was trying not to pay attention to the question of why he had decided to stay. Hanasaki had slept through the rest of the day and at the moment he had thought to go home the man with the beard had made a comment about him doing a good job.

“You must be bored. I have some stuff lying around here.” Hanasaki said reaching over to open a  drawer nearby the bed. “You can read one of these.” Hanasaki said pulling out something he hadn’t recognized before. “Have you ever read a manga before?”

“No.” He said carefully pulling a manga out of the drawer.

“You read it like this.” Hanasaki said opening and pointing at the manga in his hands.

Looking at the manga in his own hands he followed the way Hanasaki pointed out.The pictures in the manga were odd and new. The scribbles were especially strange looking to him. A few seemed to stand out yet he didn’t know what they said. Flipping through he caught a glimpse of two characters staring at each other, their eyes sparkling. And in the next pictures, they were moving closer towards to each other.In the next, their hands were touching. Heat was rising to his face as he stared at the images. He didn’t know what was going on both within the manga and within himself. Quickly that sensation gave away to another. Glancing at the book in his hands his vision began to fade in and out. Sleep was calling him. Slowly his eyes were protesting remaining open. At any moment they would force themselves close. Adjusting himself to bring himself out from the sleepiness but once he settled sleep began tugging at him again.

  


///

Hanasaki couldn't take his eyes off Kobayashi. A faint tint of pink appeared on that fair skin before quickly disappearing, he wondered what had caused the reaction.

“How do you like it?”

“It’s fine.”

“I’m glad. It’s one of my favorites.” Hanasaki smiled.

He always felt that sharing something you like with someone was one of the best feelings in the world. Even if Kobayashi didn’t fully appreciate the manga it made him happy that he gave reading a chance.

Kobayashi seemed to be fighting sleep. The invincible boy did look like he wasn’t sleeping well, perhaps it was his fault. Slowly Kobayashi was drifting to sleep, his features becoming less stiff. A calmness on that face was something that he had only the pleasure of seeing once before. If more people saw  Kobayashi in this state he knew they wouldn’t see him as a real human being. Going against better reason he snapped a picture of that sleepy face. The sudden shifting of Kobayashi made him jump up a little, luckily he hadn’t been caught.

“If only there could be more moments like this.” He thought. “It’s really something to see him so human-like.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the manga in Kobayashi’s lap starting to slip. In an attempt to not disturb his sleeping companion he reached forward to catch the book.The barrier that he had forgotten about deflected his touch. This time it felt more like a static electricity shock than the danger of having his fingers being sliced off. The book thudded to the ground yet Kobayashi didn’t seem to be bothered by it. It was truly amazing how Kobayashi could fall asleep sitting in a chair; if it had been him he would’ve fallen over.

“You are something.”

With those words, Ruby-eyes shot open and gave him a glare.

“What do you want?”

“Nothing. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Tch.  No one could sleep with you making all that noise.”

“If he was truly awake then why didn’t he complain about the picture I took?” He thought.

  
  
  


///

Whatever this idiot was trying to do it was very annoying. He thought he could at least rest his aching eyes while Hanasaki was reading, one halfbut the second he closed his eyes that idiot was moving a lot. And then he felt his barrier deflect a touch, which had completely ruined his rest. There was no way he could actually fall asleep anywhere except his home.

“You did so well taking care of Hanasaki that you’re going to be his official babysitter.” Akechi announced as he entered the room with some food.

“Babysitter?”

“I’m not a baby. I can take care of myself.”

“ I wouldn’t be so sure about that. This kid did a very good job at staying by your side all night long.”

“Really?”

Those cerulean eyes were staring at him now. A slight change in his heart’s rhythm made him question if he had somehow gotten sick.

“Make sure each other stays out of trouble while Inoue and I are away.  Don’t fall for any of his tricks kid. He needs to remain here.”

“There’s not much trouble I can do when you’ve confined me to this room.”

“You always find a way.”Akechi said as he left.

The food that was set down by Akechi made his stomach grumble. It smelled delicious, but he doubted that the food was meant for him. And how could he trust that these people wouldn’t try to trick him into eating something deadly just to see what would happen. The last thing he wanted was to be looked at as some freak because of his abilities. Besides he still had some bread left over in his pocket. More and more it seemed important to carry around food since he was constantly harassed by this person to go on what he called missions.

“If you’re better I’m going.” He said as he got up from the chair he had moved towards the bed yesterday.

“Don’t leave yet...Does that barrier of yours prevents you from getting sick?”

“I don’t know.”

“ Then it should be fine if we share food. You should have some of the sandwich.” Hanasaki said with a smile.

Hesitantly one-halfof the sandwich. Nibbling on it he noticed that Hanasaki was visibly better. Hanasaki’s skin wasn’t as flushed and his breathing had returned to a normal rhythm.  And that smile although still not as bright as usual didn’t seem as dull as it once was.  How often that smile was shown was annoying, though.

“How is it?” Hanasaki asked.

“Good.” Truthfully he hadn’t been paying attention to taste in the food.

 

//

Hanasaki hated being sick in bed, although it was nice to have Kobayashi to talk to. Akechi’s admission of Kobayashi being beside him all night long brought happiness into his whole being.  Even if it had been a task set by Akechi for the ruby eyed boy to watch over him that didn’t mean he had to stay the night. Waking up to that face was more than welcoming. It had been a long time since he’d woken to someone besides him looking after his well being.

 

He was feeling much better after the bed rest and food, still, he wasn’t back to a hundred percent. His energy was coming back with a vengeance as he was starting to get antsy from being trapped in this room.

“Let’s get out of here.”

“No.”

“Please.”

“You have to stay here.”

“We’ll stay in the building. I promise I’m feeling a lot better. Come with me.” He said leaping out of the bed. “I doubt you want to stay here all day. Whether I live or die is my responsibility remember?”

“You better not die before you kill me.”

“I’ll do my best to prevent that from happening.”

  


“Time for the grand tour of our base. As member, you will be spending some time here.” Hanasaki said as he guided Kobayashi to the main room of their base. “This is where we often meet with clients. Since you’re new we’ll be stuck doing small jobs together, but if you show improvement we can do more exciting things.”

Kobayashi didn’t seem so interested. Was it because he truly didn’t care or was there something on his mind? Moving more into the room he bent down to the area of the main floor which housed many colorful fish.

“Isn’t this cool? I remember being so entertained watching these fish when I first came here.”

“Is this what you do?” Kobayashi asked laying his eyes on the fish Hanasaki was pointing out.

“You mean as a club member? No. It just relaxes me. Being a detective can be stressful work... We do a lot of good so it’s worth a little stress.”

The swirling motion of the fish below them occupied his mind for a while. He could stare at them endlessly. Shaking his head he turned his attention back to Kobayashi, who now appeared just as transfixed with the fish. The look on Kobayashi’s face didn't give him any clues as to what was going on in that mind of his.

 

Hanasaki wasn’t sure if giving a full tour was the best thing especially coming up to the roof top. However, the view from the roof top was something he wanted to show Kobayashi. This base had many beautiful things if you just knew the right places to look.

 

///

“As tempting as it is please don’t go throwing yourself off the roof okay.”

Kobayashi didn’t need to listen to this person. This tour was beyond stupid. Being here was a huge waste of time and he still didn't know what his purpose was in all of this.

“Isn’t the view beautiful?”

The sky looked just the same as ever but there was something different. Was it the difference in height or something else? That annoying unnamed feeling was coming back.

“Tch.”  

“Don’t you just ever let yourself enjoy the view?”

How could he enjoy this when there was still so much on his mind. Why were things starting to feel weird? That smile on Hanasaki’s  face was starting to bother him more and more. How was it possible for someone to keep such a look on their face?

“Why do you have to make a face like that?”

“What?”

Kobayashi could feel himself jump up slightly as Cerulean blue eyes met his. He hadn’t meant to say that out loud.

“I smile because I’m happy to be spending time with you.”

“What does that mean?”

“What does happy mean?....It’s this something that makes your heart feel light and makes you break out into a smile.”

To Kobayashi, every word was utter nonsense.

“Why?”

“Because I care about you.”

There it was again those words that were spoken so easily made his mind spin. How could he be cared for or make anyone happy? There was nothing that he did to make that true. Hanasaki was just saying things. This person was just saying nice things, which made him a kind idiot but an idiot nonetheless.

  


///

“I really do care about you.”  He said again when Kobayashi looked away.

Something about those words didn’t fully capture what he felt towards the person in front of him. For now, they were the best words he could muster.

“ If you cared about me you’d help me find a way to die.”

“Why do you want to die so badly?”

“....”

This wasn’t the first time that Kobayashi clammed up at that question. Hanasaki knew it wasn’t his right to say anything on the issue, but he cared too much to disregard it.He would do anything he could to prevent Kobayashi from dying even if he had to pretend that he was doing just the opposite. If somehow he convinced Kobayashi to continue living he would willingly give up anything to assure the invincible boy had a happy life.

“I guess you have your reasons....I shouldn’t force you to talk about it. I just want to know more about you.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s what friends do.”

He couldn’t put a finger on why that statement didn’t feel right to him. He was infatuated with Kobayashi of course. Anyone who didn’t cast him aside based on his rough outer shell would admire the ability he carried. The gift of invincibility was something most people wished for, however it wasn’t just the protective barrier that he admired about the ruby-eyed individual. What really captivated him was the way Kobayashi took care of himself all alone. He wanted to know what life this person lived before they met.  There was so much strength within the person beside him, more strength than he ever had.

“Who says I am your friend?”

“No need to be harsh. I’m still sick.” He joked, trying to minimize the sting of those words.

“You said you were fine.”

He couldn’t help but laugh. Everything was taken so seriously, every word taken literally.

“What’s wrong with you?”

The deadpan way Kobayashi spoke made his heart feel even lighter than what it was. Somehow some way being like this made him feel happier than he had in a long time. These smiles on his face, this laughter that erupted from within were genuine. If there ever came a day that Kobayashi felt this sort of happiness he hoped it would be because of him.

“You are just too much for me.” He said wiping the tears out from his eyes. “If this tour isn’t your thing we can do something else. Let’s play a game.”

“A game?”

“It’s better than just sitting around.”

  
  


///

Playing this dumb game was better than just sitting around? He wasn’t so sure if Hanasaki was right about that. The reason why he agreed to play instead of taking the opportunity to escape was beyond him. The rules of this game was strange and he didn’t know why Hanasaki said it was a fun game. He had to hide and Hanasaki had to find him. This game reminded him of when he had hidden from the pestering individual in the abandoned building.Glancing around the main room he was shown earlier he decided to hide under the large desk piled with papers.

The underside of the desk was roomy. It was peaceful under here so much so that he could feel sleep tugging at him. The dizziness would leave soon enough, he couldn’t sleep here.

“I am still not comfortable with having him here. He’s a danger.”

This voice belonged to the green-eyed man who hated him.  Kobayashi wasn’t sure if it was better to emerge from his hiding spot or not. Lifting his head just slightly he could see the reflection of the green-eyed man and the one with a beard.

“Inoue you worry too much.”

“I do not. He is a huge risk to have around!”

“The kid hasn’t caused any trouble yet so give him a chance. You know it takes a certain person to put up with Hanasaki.”

“Although I can’t deny that...Do you honestly think it’s a good idea to have the two of them under this roof?”

“Is there anything I can do to persuade you?”

“I won’t change my position on this. That kid is not to be trusted with the responsibility of being a member.”

“Are you sure?”

Kobayashi stood silent as he saw the reflection of the two men leaning their faces closer together. This was different from what he had seen in the  manga Hanasaki had let him look at earlier. As much as he wanted to turn away he was too curious about what was going on. His eyes widened as he observed the two men pressing their lips together for a moment. The two men's’ lips parted and they just stared at each other. Kobayashi didn’t even know what he had just witnessed when the doors whooshed open.

"Get a room you two there are kids around.” Hanasaki said entering the room.

Kobayashi saw the green-eyed man push away the bearded man. He didn’t know what this meant at all.

“Both you and Kobayashi are old enough.” Akechi stated.

“You should be in bed!” Inoue scolded. "And where is your babysitter?”

"we're playing hide and seek. Be glad that I stuck around here instead of wreaking havoc outside.”

“You should still be wearing a mask.” Inoue added.

“I’m fine.”

Kobayashi didn’t know what to do. He felt so trapped without any way of knowing if what the meaning of what he had just witnessed was. These people were strange and confusing. Witnessing that had added to the growing need for answers.

“I need to get out of here.” He thought.

 

//

“You better finish up this game and get back into bed before I make you finish paperwork.” Akechi said as he tapped the file on Hanasaki’s head before leaving.

With Inoue and Akechi gone he continued to look for Kobayashi. A faint sound behind the Akechi’s desk compelled him to check it out. The closer he got he could see silver hair reflected in the window. Keeping a mindful distance he leaned over the desk.

"There you are I was looking all over. you're good... is something the matter?”

Kobayashi was refusing to look him in the eye. A tint of pink on his fair skin was clear even with the way he tried to hide in that black jacket.

“I need to get out of here.”

“What happened?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Was it Inoue and Akechi?”

The sudden tensing of Kobayashi told him he had hit the nail on the head. He knew he would have to explain what was going on between Akechi and Inoue.

"Have you ever liked someone or something?”

"Liked something?”

"You know. Something that you couldn’t be without?”

“Food?”

The way Kobayashi responded, so naive, was too cute for him to handle. It took everything in him to not burst out into laughter.

“Sure we’ll go with that. You really like food right?” With a nod from Kobayashi, he did his best to continue. “Well let's say that food makes you very happy. For people being together can make them very happy, as if you multiply your happiness towards food by a thousand. When two people make each other that happy it’s called love.Love is a very strong emotion.”

The blank stare told him that he needed to slow things down.Hanasaki never realized how hard it was to explain emotions before. He always assumed that people had some innate way of understanding them. Perhaps he was taking for granted something that the silver-haired boy didn’t truly grasp.

“Emotions are very strong feelings. It’s kind of hard to explain really. People express feelings in many ways. For example, love can be expressed by kissing.”

The more he talked the more blank stares he got. Just glancing at those ruby eyes told him that his words weren’t really connecting.

“Okay, I started off way too advanced let’s do something simpler.” For a moment he thought about the best way to explain simple emotions. Like a lightning it hit him. “Follow after me.”

“Okay?”

“I feel happy when I eat tasty food. Let me show you my happy face. ” He sung in a simple tune.

“Why should I do that?”

“I’ll give you some tasty food if you do. It’ll help you learn about emotions.”

“Tch. Fine.”

“I feel happy when I eat tasty food. Let me show you my happy face. ” He sang ending with a smile. “I feel scared when I hear a loud noise. Let me show you my scared face.”

“This is stupid.”

“I thought you wanted to understand what feelings are. Don’t give up. It’s just me, no one is going to make fun of you.”

There needed to be more to motivate the reluctant individual.

“Who knows maybe this could give an idea of how to get past that barrier of yours and kill you.”

“I feel... happy when...I eat tasty food.” Kobayashi started singing the melody with a straight face.

The melody was slowed down so much so that it barely resembled what he had sung to Kobayashi, but Kobayashi was trying his best.

“ Let me show you my happy face.” He continued.

“Let.. me... show you... my happy ..face..”

“You need to smile. Like this.” He said giving an example.

“I’m not going to do that.”

“Alright, I’ll teach you the next line then.”

They continued like this for a little while covering over basic emotions like happy, scared, sad, and mad. Kobayashi seemed to be doing well with following the melody of the song. Sure he wasn’t an expert in teaching whatsoever still, he felt confident that the song would at least begin the journey of understanding emotions.

  
  
  


////

Kobayashi couldn’t understand what was going on. Ever since Hanasaki started teaching him about emotions he was becoming more aware of the looks on other people’s faces. He still couldn't identify many of the looks nor knew what they meant. The annoying song plagued him as he traveled back to his home. With his pendant in hand, he reflected on everything he had done today.

“I feel mad when Hanasaki’s dumb song is stuck in my head. Let me show you my mad face.” He sang in his head as he clicked his tongue. He desperately needed to get the tune out of his head.

“I should’ve left before he taught me this stupid song.” He scolded himself.

There had to be a way for him not to be completely roped into whatever Hanasaki wanted. He knew why he had stuck around though. Meaning of such words as “I care about you” had tormented Kobayashi. The racing  of his mind was far worse than any attempt on his life.he could deal with the ache of not succeeding an attempt but he couldn’t handle the thoughts of unknown origins pestering him like a certain orange wearing idiot. The lesson on emotions hadn’t really helped him in the slightest. And why was he trying so hard? It was pointless to think doing something as learning a song could help him, wasn’t it? How was learning to name emotions going to kill him? What choice did he have though? Nothing he tried ever worked. Neither heights or guns could kill him. Was it possible to die from feelings?

“Aggg.” he groaned as he violently bit down on what Hanasaki called a hamburger.

He had at least managed to get a couple of these before being able to leave. It was the only good thing he got out of the day. All the things he had left unanswered and many more questions that Hanasaki had brought up were distracting him. Now that he was back in his home he could finally allow himself into sleep. His eyes were growing heavier as the day had gone on. It was too uncomfortable to sleep anywhere else besides the Ferris wheel cart. With a stomach full and under the familiar dented roof he was finally able to slip into sleep.

 

///

As he laid in his sick bed Hanasaki scrolled through the internet for ways to help teach Kobayashi about emotions. This was going to be a large task and he was the farthest thing from a professional, yet he wanted to build as much understanding as he could. If he could just get some basics covered he hoped it would be easier for Inoue and Kobayashi to see eye to eye.

With the sound of the door being opened, he stopped his searching.

“Has Akechi sent you to kick me out?” He asked as Inoue entered.

“No that is not the intention of my visit.”

A small sigh of relief escaped him. He wasn’t feeling up to returning to his “home” even if he was feeling much better than the day before. Grateful was an understatement of what he felt for having a space to stay here when he truly needed it. However he knew that if he stayed too long here he would be practically dragged back to that empty shell of a home at his father's request.

“I have come to apologize for what you witnessed earlier.”

Inoue’s cut dry words were way too formal, which often indicated embarrassment for the green-eyed man. Inoue was only eighteen years old, three years older than him, and yet he spoke as if he was a fifty-year-old man.

“Are you talking about the kiss? It’s not as if I haven’t seen someone kissing before.”

“It was inappropriate for the workplace.”

“It wasn’t a complete shock.”

He had known for a while that Inoue would steal glances at Akechi and work late just so they could be together. The status of the relationship was in up in the air as far as he knew, even so the look of Inoue's face was a one of love. Hanasaki could see why someone like Inoue would fall for Akechi. They held many of the same interests and had some history together. Akechi had a brilliant brain that would catch anyone's interest. To others the age difference would be an issue, but Inoue acted more like an adult than Akechi at times and he was almost a legal adult anyway. The kiss he witnessed was the first physical sign of affection between the two, he could tell just by the look on Inoue’s face.

“ We must always uphold a professional demeanor.” Inoue said with a straight face.

“It’s not a big deal. Why can’t you just relax?”

“When people are too headstrong, too emotional things can go wrong. It’s important to keep things professional. Work should be our primary focus at all times.” Inoue said as he rubbed his leg.

Inoue often scolded him for being reckless and he knew very well the reason behind it. Hanasaki could never forget the day he had seen Inoue lying in the hospital. The incident that took his leg was a tale against rushing head first into trouble. It took away not only but lead to one of the best detectives they had quitting, Katsuda. The two were so close, being partners in every sense of the word. When Inoue was cleared by the hospital and Katsuda quit things had changed so much. Inoue grew more callous and for a while refused to get back into field work.

“If you love someone  I see nothing wrong with showing it.”

“Such topics shouldn’t be talked about at work....I’m sure he was just getting a rise out of me. He’s committed to having that brat around. I don’t know what the two of you see in him.”

Hanasaki didn’t care for the shift in conversation.

“Why can’t you trust him?”

“He’s unstable. We can’t afford to have someone unstable in our line of work. People's lives are on the line. You would know that if you weren’t prioritizing making friends off the street over work.”

Those words stung with truth. Inoue was right, he hadn't been giving much thought to work over these past few days, more so than usual. This world wasn’t safe, he knew that. He’d been eavesdropping on the talks between Akechi and the police; twenty faces was up to no good again. It was only a matter of time before they would have to face the psycho. Kobayashi couldn’t be sheltered from this since twenty faces loved to personally challenge Akechi. Kobayashi was one of them now, which meant he would be right alongside him on the battlefield.

“I’ll watch over him.”

  


#####

Author note:

Forgive me, I feel like I failed at making things cute. My hope is that I made at least one person smile with this chapter. I was struggling to make this deadline. This story is the first that I haven’t outlined a whole plot for. In previous works I spent more than a week writing a single chapter  based on a strict outline and each chapter is usually in one point of view, but I like this style too. Honestly, each week is just me asking the Yaoi Goddesses to grant me inspiration to keep writing.

If you don’t like the Akechi/ Inoue ship don’t worry too much. Personally I think Katsuda/ Inoue is a better ship, but this was a small request from a friend so I added it in.  This story is mostly focused on Hanasaki and Kobayashi’s relationship so I don’t plan to overshadow them with other ships. However, I am curious to know what ships people like.

I hope everyone had a great Valentine's day. May Yaoi bring you happiness and inspiration for my fellow fic writers.

As always thank you for reading.


	7. Persuit

“I’ll watch over him” that’s what he said, watch over but how exactly was he suppose to watch overKobayashi if he was trapped in school? Hanasaki almost felt duped by faith when he had just gotten over being sick and sharing moments with the invincible boy only to being shipped off to school the next day at Akechi’s demand. There was no way of getting out of this. Akechi was smart enough to know if he dared tried to ditch school.

“I wish Kobayashi could’ve come along.” He sighed to himself.

As wishful thinking it was to have someone to talk to in class, the reality of Kobayashi in school was less fulfilling. For one the protective barrier would have a field day of slicing up students in crowded hallways or lash out if its host was frightened by being called on to answer a question. Hanasaki couldn’t help chuckle at the idea of Kobayashi dressed in a school uniform. Something about Kobayashi dressed in anything outside of that baggy jacket and shorts just didn’t seem right.

“He would definitely stand out.”

Hanasaki wouldn’t change the way Kobayashi stood out even if he could. Even though he had started to teach Kobayashi about emotions it wasn’t a way to change his personality. Something about the naive, even cruel at times, way Kobayashi saw the world spoke to him. All he wanted was to build some sort of understanding between them that he selfishly hoped would eventually deter the other from dying.

“Pay attention!” His teacher warned, slamming his hand onto Hanasaki’s desk.

“Yes. I’m sorry.”

“Read out loud line 15 to 25.”

  


Hanasaki really hated the agreement he had made with Akechi about attending a full day of school once a month. He couldn’t see why he couldn’t be tutored on days he didn’t have missions, not that he would pay much attention to them. School wasn’t for him, sure he could keep up relatively well with the average student, but he didn’t care for it. He felt so alone and bored in this prison designed to “educate” students. The only good thing about school was the science club , which two of his closest classmates ran. He was always delighted to see what crazy new inventions they had made for the Boy’s Detective Club.

 

Glancing at the time he figured it would be best to spend some time with the science club members before his next class.

The science club was just as he had remembered it from the previous month he was forced into this educational prison.

“Long time no see Hanasaki.”

“It hasn’t been that long Otomo.”

“I would say so you’ve been visiting me less and less. Don’t tell me you found someone else?” Otomo said dramatically acting like a jealous lover.

He couldn’t help chuckling at the way Otomo said those words.

“No one could replace you.” He said, playing along. “You are one of the smartest people I know.”

“And don’t you forget it.” Otomo said tapping the rolled up paper in his hands on Hanasaki’s nose.

Hanasaki wasn’t sure if he should tell Otomo about Kobayashi, but he knew that with Kobayashi being a member of the Boy’s Detective Club that the two would eventually meet.

“There is a new member of the club.”

“Ah, so the truth comes out. So tell me, who is it?”

“It’s no one you know. His name is Kobayashi, Yoshio.”

“And where did we find such a person?”

“It’s a long story. We just happened to run into each other.”

“Knowing you I wouldn’t have put it passed you to drive the newest member crazy before long.” Otomo said handing him a  gadget that resembled a small boomerang.

“Way ahead of you.” He said as he tossed the gadget. “I’m sure I’ve driven him crazy since the day we met. He’s always giving me that look that says ‘why have I been stuck with this idiot’.”

“Doesn’t everyone give you that look?” Said Yamane.

“You miss him when he’s not here. Don’t deny it.” Otomo chuckled.

“I prefer it when he’s not here making messes that you leave me to clean up.”

“What else would you do as my assistant?”

Hanasaki really enjoyed how these two interacted, in fact with Kobayashi in his life he was growing more appreciative of the relationships around him. There were times that he felt the strong sting of jealousy like now when Otomo was able to place Yamane into a playful headlock. With the protective barrier of Kobayashi, he couldn’t do something as simple as giving a pat on the head. Having the invincible boy around tended to emphasize his need to be affectionate, but there wasn’t much he could do to show his affection without any physical contact. He wanted to be able to high five after a completed mission or playfully shove each other. As things were now if he ever attempted such an action he would almost definitely end up severely injured or worse.

  
  
  


///

Kobayashi glanced at the red pendant he was given the day before. A part of him wanted to discard the thing, after all, it wasn’t as if he knew how to use this thing. Without a doubt, he didn’t want to ask Hanasaki how to work it. It was bad enough that the idiot was trying to teach him about emotions, which he still was completely confused about. Only by luck had the horrid song didn’t keep him up all night.

“Where is he?”

The words had come out from his own mouth but it had startled him. It was about midday and yet he hadn’t seen the familiar orange blur in his peripheral vision nor had he heard the annoying voice asking him to spend some time together. The unfamiliar feeling was creeping up again. He tried to figure it out on the limited knowledge of emotions he had learned, but nothing seemed to fit.

Shifting his focus onto the pendant in hand he noticed something blinking. This blinking hadn’t happened before. Whatever it was he knew it wasn’t something that could kill him because his barrier hadn’t destroyed it.  After blinking a few more times it stopped.

“Good afternoon!”

The sudden voice of the bearded man made him jump and the protective barrier lash out at the already damaged windows of the Ferris Wheel.

“Tch.”

Kobayashi couldn’t understand how Akechi had found him. And what was worse was that Akechi wasn’t alone. Besides, the bearded man was an unfamiliar woman and an unfamiliar man. Up until now, it had only been Hanasaki who came to this place to bother him, so why were these people here? For a split second, he wondered if Hanasaki had died from getting sick and these people were here to take him away somewhere.

“Relax. I came to ask for  your help.”

“My help?”

“You are a proud member of the Boy’s Detective Club, therefore, you’re at my disposal for missions. This is Officer Nao Nakamura from the police.”

Kobayashi still wasn’t sure if he could run away from this situation. If he was quick he could jump and take off running, but there was no telling if these people would end up finding him again.

“You do realize that you are in several violations including trespassing. If you do not assist us we can prevent you from ever reentering this area.” Spoke the female besides Akechi.

He couldn’t believe what this woman was saying. This place was his home no matter what anyone said. Where else was he expected to live? There wasn’t anywhere else nearby where he could go.

“I don’t like police.”

 

///

The temptation to call Kobayashi was growing as time trickled slowly. He wasn’t allowed to get out of school until 8:00 pm and it was just barely 3:00 pm. Deciding against his better judgment he called Kobayashi.

“What do you want?” Kobayashi answered

“Did you miss me?”

“Why would I miss you? Where are you?”

The fact that Kobayashi asked about his whereabouts made him smile.

“I’m at school.”

“School?”

“Hey kid let's go.” He heard Akechi call out.

“I’ll explain later. What’s Akechi doing there?”

The background resembled that of Kobayashi’s home, which sprouted jealousy at the sight of someone else being there. It had been a place that he was barely allowed in so he doubted Kobayashi had invited Akechi there. Still, he wished he was in Akechi’s shoes right now.

“He’s bothering me. I don’t know how he found me.” Kobayashi said with a glare.

“I didn’t tell him anything. He probably used the GPS in the pendant to find you.”

“How do you get rid of it?”

“Kid do I have to remind you about the rules you accepted? Stop talking to that idiot, he should be focusing on studies.”

“You should probably listen to him.”

“Tch.” Kobayashi clicked his tongue.

“I’ll join you as soon as I can.”

“School first!” Akechi’s voice called out.

“I’ll break out of here and come for you.” He whispered.

“Whatever.” Kobayashi said before the call ended.

He really hoped that time would move faster. If Akechi was bothering Kobayashi it meant that there was a mission to be done. If he was smart he could come up with a plan to get out of here quicker. There was no way that he could stand by and let Kobayashi go on a mission by himself. The invincible was his responsibility.

  


///

Kobayashi ended up following the police and Akechi back to the Boy’s Detective Club’s base. He barely paid attention what was going on between the police and Akechi. There was a talk of something called a film which was being set up in a strange looking machine. He really didn’t know why he was brought here for this. The film showed a man tied up talking then it shifted to another person who hid his face and spoke directly to Akechi. From what he could understand the man in the mask was called twenty faces and was threatening to kill the tied up man. He didn’t quite understand why everyone was getting so worked up as the film suddenly exploded.

“This is a direct challenge to you. Why is Twenty Faces doing this?” Officer Nakamura asked to Akechi. “We have to save him.”

“Perhaps our newest member could help out with the rescue.” Akechi said.

“What do I get out of him being alive?” He asked in a monotone voice.

“Do you care so little? Does human life mean nothing to you?” Inoue said slamming his hand against the desk loudly.

Kobayashi could identify the look on Inoue’s face because of Hanasaki’s stupid lesson, but he still didn’t know why Inoue was angry. There were tons of people in this world. It wasn’t up to him who was saved and who wasn’t. Plus up until now, he had only agreed to missions that Hanasaki had asked him to join in after the promise of food. There was no reason for him to agree to do anything if it didn’t benefit him in any way.

“Not really. Humans are everywhere.”

“How could you say such a thing? A person’s life is not something you can easily toss aside! This man will DIE if we  idle!”

Inoue’s words didn’t mean much to him. He was someone who wanted to die every single day. There wasn’t a sense of what it even meant to be alive. It was only recently that he had known anything outside of the constant suicide attempts and living in isolation. He didn’t see what was so great about being alive. If Hanasaki was here he’d most likely go on and on explaining what Inoue was trying to tell him. Without the idiot to explain things to him all he could do was click his tongue in annoyance.

“Alright, you two. Noro has recreated the film. We are racing the clock so focus.”

The fuzzy images of the film were replayed.

“There’s something off about this.” Inoue spoke.  “The way his eyes blink is strange.”

“Do you think it’s some clue.”

“It must be morse code. They’re in the drainage control system”

“Excellent. I’ll alert the police.” Officer Nakamura said.

“Congratulations you two will be partners on this case since Hanasaki isn’t here.” Akechi said.

The last thing Kobayashi wanted to do was work with Inoue. The green-eyed man had an angry face plastered on whenever they as much looked at each other. For some reason, Inoue didn’t object to Akechi.

“I wish that idiot was here.” He thought.

 

///

 

“ I can’t take it anymore!” Hanasaki thought as he got up from yet another class lecture.

The worry of Kobayashi working on a mission had become unbearable. It was the time he left this place. Akechi would be hard on him, even so, it didn’t matter. He was the only one that could work with Kobayashi, he wouldn’t let anyone else team up with him. Racing he ran out of the school building. He was sure that if he cut through the main area he would be able to make it to the base before it got too late. However, he wasn’t planning on running into Katsuda watering the nearby flowers.

“Hi, Katsuda.”

It had been a long time since he saw Katsuda. He always wished the man before him hadn’t quit the club. Inoue and he were arguably the best duo he had ever seen. It was a shame that the incident that placed Inoue in a wheelchair had affected Katsuda so much. Hanasaki wondered if the two still talked.

“What are you doing out here Hanasaki? Don’t you have class?”

“I’m just getting fresh air before my next class... You know you put us in a real bind when you quitted. Noro is a shut in  and I'm an idiot the club is barely sticking together.”

It wasn’t a lie. Things had gone down hill significantly and if he was truthful his idiocy made him useless compared to Katsuda and Inoue.

“I’m sure you’re doing fine.”

“You should come back.”

“I can’t....I have the gardening club now.”

The flowers Katsuda was watering reminded him of the flowers he had given to Inoue when he was in the hospital. At the time he had made a joke about Katsuda bringing Inoue flowers, but he knew deep down that Katsuda blamed himself for the accident. As long as Katsuda felt responsible Hanasaki doubted he would return to being a detective.

“You need to attend classes. Listen to what Akechi says.”

“I got it.” He said turning to head back to school.

Katsuda had a point. Listening to Akechi tended to keep everyone in one piece. If he decided to go against the man who was basically a father to him there was a chance that their relationship would become strained. He needed to learn from the past and follow what he was told no matter how much it killed him.

 

///

Kobayashi sat watching an unconscious Inoue on the floor. How things had got to this was a question of what didn’t go wrong. When they had entered the place Inoue said the man was held things weren’t right. Inoue was more annoying than Hanasaki on missions. He would trade the constant talking idiot for this person any day. His tongue had clicked several times by the time he had suggested that he knew this place better than the map Inoue possessed. It was his luck that they ended up running into two people that were with this twenty faces person. He had stood back as the two fought back against Inoue. Kobayashi don't want to run the risk of killing anyone if he intervened, especially if Inoue got hurt in the process. There was no way he was going to risk the hamburgers Akechi had promised him for completing this mission. Which is what had led him to watching an unconscious Inoue and being trapped.

“What happened? Why didn’t you do anything?” Inoue asked once he woke.

Kobayashi didn’t understand why Inoue was worrying so much. With his abilities, he could easily break down the doors that had trapped them. To prove this point he tried to hit his head against the door. His barrier swept up and blocked the connection, however, it didn’t create a huge hole only a slight dent. This was new for him. Usually things just shattered or exploded on contact with his barrier. He wondered if it was because he hadn’t eaten anything or because Hanasaki not being here had something to do with it.  Running at the wall he tried again. The same result, only a dent.

“Someone like you doesn’t deserve to call themselves a detective.”

Suddenly water poured from above. As much as he didn’t like Inoue he wouldn’t just let him die.

  


///

“Finally!”

It was 8:00 pm and he was free to join in the mission if it wasn’t over. Contacting Noro he got the information about what was going on. HIs stomach dropped when she told him a number of police officers and Inoue and Kobayashi were trapped. Communication to both of them seemed to have cut off a long time ago, which was not helping the rising anxiety.

As if it were faith he once again ran into Katsuda, who was most likely on his way to his delivery job.

“Katsuda. Inoue is in trouble.”

“Climb on.” Katsuda said without hesitation.

Zooming down the street he hoped that they could make it before it was too late.

  
  


///

Higher and higher the water rose. Inoue’s  face had turned from what Kobayashi knew as anger to scared. It made sense for the green-eyed man to be scared as the water threatened to envelop them. His ability wasn't able to break down the walls and if they didn’t do something quick Inoue was bound to die.  Kobayashi still didn’t fully understand  why people were scared of dying. He thought they were lucky to be able to die instead of living in a meaningless endless loop. Even once this water engulfed this place he was sure some way he would survive due to his ability. Death wasn’t something he thought someone should be scared of. All living things eventually died, and hopefully so would he one day. Despite how he felt about death he couldn’t sit back, there was no telling what would happen if Inoue didn’t survive and he did.

“Climb up to the opening up there. You can get out.”

The fast pouring water from above wasn't’ a match for his protective barrier, still he could feel himself getting more and more tired with each step. If things weren’t so serious he would;ve complained about how he had gotten into this predicament. Higher he climbed, looking back he couldn’t even see Inoue as the curtailing water around him obstructed his vision. He focused on each step , gripping onto the bars above him. And with a loud sound he found his way back to the surface. Crawling out of the water he caught his breath, completely exhausted.

“He still needs to be saved.” He thought eyes shut tight as his lungs filled with air.

He could hear Hanasaki’s voice. Even if this voice was just in his head he needed to let someone know Inoue was still trapped. With the limited energy, he had left he spoke before his consciousness slipped away.

 

///

Hanasaki couldn’t believe their luck as they rode looking for Kobayashi and Inoue, said the invincible boy had appeared from the water. He had to remind himself that he couldn’t get too close when he found himself reaching out for the exhausted boy. Still, he was overjoyed that Kobayashi was alright.

“Where’s Inoue!” Katsuda nearly shouted at Kobayashi.

He watched as Kobayashi’s lips moved, barely making a sound. Katsuda must’ve caught what was said as he quickly took off.

“You did good.”

With Kobayashi out of harm's way and Katsuda no doubt able to save Inoue, he knew he had better track down Akechi. The only person behind this had to be twenty faces. Hanasaki knew for a while that twenty faces had some strange connection to Akechi. Akechi never talked about it unless he was drunk. Through drunken moments scattered throughout his time as a detective Hanasaki was able to form somewhat of a narrative between the two. Inoue must’ve known the actual story. It didn’t fully matter what was Akechi’s past all that mattered was stopping Twenty Faces.

“I’ll come back for you.” He said before he took off with Katsuda’s bike.

 

Finding Akechi was easy despite the intricate maze this place seemed to be. Alongside him was Officer Nakamura and a few other officers. From the murmurs around him, he gathered that Kobayashi and Inoue weren’t the only ones who were trapped by Twenty Faces. It was too dangerous to have this many people down here, but the officers refused to leave their trapped comrades.

“What happened to Inoue and the kid?” Akechi asked once he noticed Hanasaki.

“Kobayashi is resting right now.”

“What about Inoue?” Akechi asked, the worry in his voice clear.

“Katsuda went to save him.”

Relief barely scratched the surface at what he saw in Akechi’s face at that moment. Under that cool personality and rules of responsibility for your own demise, Akechi cared deeply.

“Good.” Akechi said before turning back to Officer Nakamura. “You need to get these men out of here we will make sure that the others are rescued. Having everyone down here leaves us vulnerable for Twenty Faces tricks.”

“We must evacuate. Rest assured that Akechi’s team will free our comrades! We won’t let Twenty Faces beat us!” Officer Nakamura announced.

Her words were strong and held as much faith as anyone could.  Hanasaki hoped that the others would trust them to solve this matter. Twenty Faces was a  clever and crafty person, but they could find solace that killing people went against Twenty Faces’ beliefs.  Others would think it ridiculous to hold onto the words of a mad man, however that was all they could do. They were all playing in a game of Twenty Faces’ design. This human equivalent of capture the flag was going to end with their victory one way or another.

As Akechi continued to talk with officer Nakamura Hanasaki realized that he was being called by Inoue.

“You’re safe!”

“I am thanks to Katsuda. What is going on?”

“We are just barely convincing the officers to evacuate before we are all trapped down here. A few officers were trapped. Don’t worry leave it to me. Otomo gave me a new gadget.”  He said pulling out a small box.

Setting down the box he opened it to reveal a group of small flying scanning devices. With these, they would be able to recreate the map.

“It will take too long for a new map to upload in time.” said Inoue.

“I suppose your brilliant mind knows which way we should go?” Akechi teased. “Our location is E-12.”

“Head straight I'll guide you.”

Without a moment to lose they hopped on Katsuda’s bike. Speeding as fast as they could Hanasaki saw Kobayashi still laying in the spot he had left him.

“It’s amazing how someone who wants to die to push themselves to exhaustion.”Akechi said.

Akechi’s words echoed his own thoughts. If Kobayashi truly wanted to die why would he work so hard to get free? Behind all the glares and tch’ Hanasaki knew that Kobayashi didn't fully disregard human life.

“Focus. We are running out of time.” Inoue’s voice scolded.

They needed to secure the hostage before it was too late. As they continued forward a bright light broke through the dim area. Akechi slammed on the breaks as soon as they made it into the opening. There was the culprit standing only a few feet away, Twenty Faces.As always the fiend kept his face covered in some way of another. Right now he was wearing a mask that resembled some sort of reptile, only allowing his lips to be seen.

“It took you longer than I thought. How disappointing Akechi-kun.” said Twenty Faces.

“A win's a win. We have made it here before the time. Release the hostage.”

“Are you referring only to this hostage?”

“I have located where the trapped officers are. There are several rooms sealed off connected to the water channels.” Inoue’s voice rang out from his pendant.

“And what would I gain from trapping them?” Twenty Faces asked in an eerie tone.

“You’re planning to destroy the trust in the police.”

It was moments like this Hanasaki truly admired Inoue’s brain. He hadn’t thought about why Twenty Faces was doing this. He had always assumed it was just the fiend's way of playing with Akechi. No, he saw that these actions could be a way to make the police seem incompetent. If they weren’t successful many lives would be on the line and so would the trust between civilians and law officials.

“Release them we won.” He spout.

“I don’t believe you have won. You should really learn to listen. I told you that if you can _take back_ the hostage you win.” Twenty Faces said as he grasped the hostage throat, making Akechi gasp.

Within second the area was being to flow with water and Twenty Faces was getting away with the hostage on a jet ski. The pursuit was on!

 

///

Slowly Kobayashi was getting his energy back. His heart had stopped pounding vigorously from his efforts to get free. Soon things would be over and he could finally eat something. The grumbling of his stomach was growing louder and louder , the sound reminded him of the machine the purse snatcher had rode. It took a while for him to realize that the sound wasn’t from his stomach at all. Too exhausted to deal with it he rolled into the nearby water. He hoped whatever was coming his way would just pass by as he waded in the water. Upon rising to the surface however his protective barrier connected with something creating a huge explosion. The sound sprung him from his exhausted haze.

“Kobayashi!” He heard Hanasaki say before another large machine connected with his barrier.

As the smoked clear he saw Hanasaki leap into the water to catch the hostage.  

“Not fair Akechi-kun.” Spoke the man with the mask. “Keeping a toy like that without telling me.”

Kobayashi didn’t like how the masked man’s words sounded.

“Kobayashi is Not a Toy!” Akechi spoke forcefully. “Kobayashi, Hanasaki, Inoue, Noro,  and Katsuda, none of them ARE YOUR TOYS!”

This was the first time that he heard Akechi speak like that.

“So heated..I don’t like it.” The masked man said as he dove into the water.

“Come back!” Hanasaki called out.

“It’s over. We should go free the trapped officers.” Akechi said.

  
  


Finally, they were done with the mission. Everyone had been rescued safely, not that he truly cared. All he wanted to do was eat until he couldn’t move anymore. It was taking way too long for the crowds of people to leave, which he had to wait for before he could get his reward.

“Will be leaving soon. Sorry, you have to wait so long the media was going crazy.” Hanasaki said with a smile.

It was the first time had actually gotten to look and talk to Hanasaki all day. The realization of that gave him an unwelcoming feeling.  Now that all the craziness was over he noticed that Hanasaki wasn’t dressed in his usual orange jumpsuit. Instead the idiot was wearing a white shirt, a jacket, gray pants and a striped tie. Somehow the lack of a solid orange clothing made those cerulean eyes shine brighter. Another stranger and equally unwelcoming feeling hit him as he stared at the outfit.

“You understand why we have to wait right? I don’t want you thinking that Akechi is ashamed of you or anything... He just doesn’t want  you being approached by reporters.”

He didn’t fully understand, but he nodded any ways. The last thing he wanted was to be surrounded by strangers. The only problem was the growing hunger.

“I’m sure Akechi will give you lots of food.”

“Hamburgers!”

“Hamburgers huh?” Hanasaki chuckled. “....I’m sorry that I wasn’t here for you....this was a big mission...you shouldn’t have been by yourself.”

“I wasn’t.” He said, confused at Hanasaki’s shift in tone. “I was stuck with Inoue....He’s more annoying than you.”

“You sure know how to cheer a guy up.” Hanasaki said, wiping his eyes.  “I’m sure you have questions.”

He wasn’t quite sure what Hanasaki wanted him to ask. There was nothing better to do while they waited so he decided to ask anything.

“Why are you wearing that?”

“Huh?”

“Why aren’t you wearing your usual orange outfit?”

“Oh. Umm. This is my school uniform I had to wear it today. Why does it look weird on me or something?”

“It’s.... different.”

“Don’t worry I only have to wear it when I go to school. As soon as we get back I’ll change.”

Kobayashi didn’t know what to say. He just wanted to get the food he was promised. Plus he didn’t feel like sticking around here any longer. He especially didn’t care for the silence that hung between them. Hanasaki would usually talk nonstop, yet it seemed like there was something on his mind.

“How are you feeling?”

“Hungry.”

“No, I meant emotionally.”

“How should I know?”

“It was your first run in with Twenty Faces...”

Kobayashi didn’t really care about Twenty Faces. It didn’t matter what the creep said even if it really angered Akechi. Hanasaki, on the other hand, was obviously affected. He didn’t know what was the big deal behind Twenty Faces and it was probably for the best if he didn’t ask about it.

“I....I was really worried about you.”

“Why?”

“I know that you have that ability, but I still couldn’t help worry....I wouldn’t forgive myself if anything happened to you.” Hanasaki said, leaning as close as possible.

This didn’t make sense and he was too hungry to deal with this.

“....You promised to kill me.. I can’t die before that.”

That look in those cerulean eyes didn’t settle too well in his stomach. And the more Hanasaki was leaning in was increasing these unsettling feeling.

“Enough making out you two. Let's go!”

Akechi’s sudden words startled him. As relieved as he was to finally get out of there he couldn’t help notice that the unsettling feeling wasn’t disappearing. Maybe it was the unknown thing Akechi just said.

“What does making out mean?” He whispered to Hanasaki as they made their way back to the car.

Hanasaki’s  face was turning an odd shade. It reminded him of when Hanasaki was sick.

“It’s...It’s when two people kiss each other a lot.”

He never thought he would be more confused as he was at this very moment. Why would Akechi say such a thing. They weren’t doing that, not that they could such a thing.

“Tch. I shouldn’t have asked.”

#####

Author notes:

Hello again everyone. I apologize for the delay on this chapter. I got struck by sickness and exams these past two weeks. I swear I’m not neglecting this story. I have other projects in the work aside from this story including a collaboration fic of Voltron Legendary Defenders featuring Sheith. I hope to continue updating every two weeks or so. 

  



	8. Touch

 

“Akechi you should have told me you had such interesting toys. I bet you wouldn’t mind if I just took one.” Twenty Faces said with a smirk before grabbing a hold of Kobayashi.

Hanasaki couldn’t believe how easy Twenty Faces managed to take Kobayashi from them. He couldn’t handle seeing that creeps hands tightly around Kobayashi’s thin wrists. The sight made his blood boil as Twenty Faces’s smirk grew wider.

“GIVE HIM BACK!” 

“Oh? I don’t think he wants to go back with you. Right?”

Kobayashi didn’t make a sound and refused to look at anyone.  This wasn’t possible. Why would Kobayashi allow himself to be in Twenty Faces grasps? Why wasn’t Kobayashi’s ability slicing Twenty Faces to ribbons? 

“GET YOUR HANDS OFF HIM YOU CREEP!”

“I am not the one at blame here.” Twenty Faces said in his usual flat tone. “I didn’t drag an innocent  bystander into all of this. For all you know you’ve destroyed the decent life this little one lived.”

Hanasaki didn’t want to hear this. Twenty Faces’s words were like poison that he refused to let seep into his mind. He had to get Kobayashi out of the fiend's hands.

“WE’ll stop you!”

“And who are we?”

Thrown off by his words Hanasaki realized that it was only the three of them. He swore Akechi and Inoue were here a few minutes ago. Where had they gone? 

“Poor Hanasaki all alone. Powerless to do anything.”

“Kobayashi!” 

As quick as he could he ran towards them with his hand stretched out.

“You think you can save him on your own? Let’s test that.”

Once Twenty Faces let go of Kobayashi’s hands the ground seemed to swallow him up.

“NOOOOOO.” He screamed as he jerked awake.

It had all been a nightmare. One so real that he was barely able to steady his heartbeat.The palms of his hands felt sweaty as they violently shook. It had been a while since he had a nightmare that affected him like this. The darkness of the room soon gave way to blinding light as his door opened.

“Are you alright sir?”  His servant asked from the doorway.

Hanasaki wished he hadn’t gone back to his ‘home’ after their run in with Twenty Faces. There was no choice behind the matter as he had already spent a night at the base when he was sick. His father preferred him to kept in these walls ,which made little to no sense since they barely saw one another. Their relationship had been estranged for a long time, still deep down he wished that they could act like father and son.  The only person who ever came close to being a parental figure was Akechi. 

“I just had a nightmare. It’s not a big deal.”

“Should I bring you your medicine and a glass of water?” His servant asked.

“Just the glass of water thank you.”

“Very well.” The servant said before leaving the doorway.

He didn’t need to take his medicine; he was doing fine without them. Hanasaki did his best to think of anything else besides the nightmare. Pressing down on his pendant he glanced at the illuminated screen. It was 3:00 am. He knew that it would be some time before he would be able to get back to sleep.

“Your water sir.”

“Thank you.”

“Will there be anything else?”

“No. Sorry for waking you.”

“There’s no need to apologize. I was already starting the day. Goodbye.”

Once again he was alone in the darkness of his room. Through the illuminated screen, he flipped to the picture of Kobayashi’s sleeping face. The picture instantly made him feel calm. 

“He really does look like an angel when he’s asleep.” He said, admiring those long eyelashes that poked through the silver bangs.  “I’ll do anything to protect you.”

 

///

Kobayashi peered out of the alleyway. Yet again he was digging through the trash to find food.They sky looked dull and there were no people around, just how he liked it. If he could have more days like this he wouldn’t be so concerned about leaving his home. 

“How are you feeling?” Hanasaki asked.

Hanasaki was dressed in the school uniform from yesterday for some reason. 

“I was worried about you.” 

Hanasaki’s tone sparked something inside him. Closer and closer Hanasaki was coming. He prepared himself for the moment his barrier would deflect the motion, yet this moment didn’t happen. Hanasaki was so close, it felt like he would drown in those cerulean eyes.

“I was so worried about you.” Hanasaki repeated while reaching to touch Kobayashi’s face.

Closing his eyes he waited for the touch. Time seemed to pass by as he waited. Hesitantly he opened his eyes, only to find himself still in his Ferris wheel home. Kobayashi was so confused. Usually, he had dreamless sleep so why was that idiot all of a sudden harassing his mind?

  
  
  


////

As the sun broke through the dark morning Hanasaki didn’t waste any time getting ready and making his way to the club’s base. He hadn’t been able to go back to sleep after the nightmare. That nightmare couldn’t come to reality no matter what, he wouldn’t let it. He needed to protect Kobayashi from Twenty Faces.

 

“Good morning.” Akechi greeted when Hanasaki entered the main room of the club’s base.

“I don’t want Kobayashi to deal with that creep anymore.”

“Woah! Take a moment, it’s still too early for this commotion.” Akechi said setting down his coffee.

Hanasaki was well aware of how early it was, still he couldn’t hold it in. He was shaken and he wasn’t so sure if the negative feelings would leave if he didn’t let them out. For Kobayashi’s sake, he wouldn’t keep in his worries this time. 

“Tell me what’s going on.” Akechi spoke softly as if he were speaking to a frightened animal.

“I don’t want Kobayashi to deal with that creep anymore.” He repeated, unable to make his request any clearer. 

“I would want that as well. In fact, I would want nothing more than for none of you to deal with Twenty Faces again. But there are things in life that we can’t hide from. I can’t shield that kid or anyone from the world. We are detectives.”

“He shouldn’t have been on that mission. He didn’t know what he was getting into.”

“None of us truly do. We do what we can to keep this place safe. There are no guarantees in life, especially for us detectives.”

Akechi was right. No matter what he did eventually Kobayashi would have to be put in dangerous circumstance. Even so he thought that Kobayashi wasn’t ready to face the world of a detective. He preferred to stay in a blissful ignorance with the ruby-eyed boy. 

“Kobayashi is doing well.” Akechi said, placing a hand on Hanasaki’s shoulder. “I meant what I said yesterday. None of you are toys to be played with and I would rather die than let anyone of you fall into the hands of Twenty Faces. We protect each other.”

His heart felt so heavy from those words, it was as if they were exactly what he needed to hear. Akechi always seemed to have the ability to ease people’s worries with a few words. Tears nearly escaped when Akechi placed his hands gently on his shoulders. In that moment he once again wished Akechi had been his father.

  
  


///

 

It was still early when he received a call from Hanasaki telling him to meet at the club’s base.  Since there was nothing better to do he decided to make his way to the meeting spot. For some reason, it felt strange to be walking there alone. It was ridiculous to feel this was when he had been on his own for so long.  

As he made his way up to the main room of the base he could hear voices. The closer he got the clearer he could tell that it was Hanasaki and Akechi speaking. He was only able to catch the last sentence something about protecting each other. He tried not to pay attention at how the words set something off within him or how that feeling doubled when he saw Akechi casually placing his hands on Hanasaki’s shoulders. 

“Welcome back.” Akechi said, removing his hands from Hanasaki.

What he had walked in on was unclear to him. In fact ever since he caught Inoue and Akechi kissing it had become difficult sometimes to look at Akechi in the face. Perhaps being so touchy was just what people did.

“You made it! I’m so glad.” Hanasaki beamed.

“I have a lot to do so stay out of trouble you two. You did well yesterday kid. You're a true detective.” Akechi said.

Kobayashi was a detective now  whether he liked it or not didn’t matter. He barely knew what it meant to be a detective. Akechi had told him he’d done well at the mission, yet he couldn't help question what exactly he had done to receive such praise. All he did was not die,much to his displeasure. It was only by chance that he was able to tell the others of the trap Inoue was still in.  And it was by chance again when he had rolled into the water and managed to help stop Twenty Faces. 

“Are you alright?” Hanasaki asked.

Having Hanasaki once again clad in the orange jumpsuit in front of him stopped his reflecting on the previous day.  He wasn’t sure how to respond to the question. Kobayashi settled for a nod in hopes that would be good enough for the idiot. 

“Would you like to do something fun?”

 

What Hanasaki defined as fun turned out to be continuing learning about emotions. They had left the main meeting area to go to the room where he had stayed when Hanasaki was sick. Once again he was at the mercy of the song Hanasaki had taught him before. The repetitive song was just annoying as it was the first day, yet something told him Hanasaki was acting slightly off. It was clear that he was being distracted by the song. 

“What’s wrong with you?” He asked in the least harsh tone he could muster.

“I had a nightmare.”

“What’s a nightmare?”

“It’s a bad dream. It scared me a lot.”

“What did you dream about?” He asked, curious to know what it was that scared Hanasaki.

“ I dreamt that Twenty Faces kidnapped you.”

Kobayashi’s heart began to flutter for some unknown reason. It was a truly strange sensation that he had yet to get used to. For a moment he wondered if he should ask the orange jumpsuit idiot what it meant. These sensations seem to be getting worse the more he spent time with the idiot. 

“That scared you?”

“It did. I was so frightened when Twenty Faces took a hold of you and I couldn’t do anything to save you....I never want something like that to happen.”

“That couldn’t happen.” He said, feeling his face get warmer.

He couldn’t look at Hanasaki’s face right now. The second he saw those Cerulean eyes he doubted he’d be able to hide these sensations he was feeling. 

“I know....I just didn’t like the thought of someone else, especially Twenty Faces touching you like that...”

“Touching?” He thought in disbelief. From what he could remember he hadn’t been touched by anyone before. The mere thought of it was odd to say the least. Because of his protective barrier he couldn’t interact with the world like Hanasaki did. He couldn’t take someone's hand, or get pat on the head like he’d seen Akechi do with Hanasaki. Seeing people touch in anyway made an unwelcoming feeling squirm in the pit of his stomach. If he could put a name to the feeling of seeing people hold hands it would be perhaps sad? There was a lot about emotions that he still didn’t know ,but the face he was making right now was something close to sad. 

“That’s ridiculous!”  He spouted.

“It seemed so real at the time...Have you ever had a bad dream?”

Kobayashi thought for a moment. He couldn’t remember having any dreams, aside from the one last night, let alone bad ones. Life itself was like a bad dream to him. All he wanted was to die and leave this world behind. The moments where he would get close were the hardest.

“I don’t dream.”

“Oh....”

 

//

Hanasaki felt like an idiotic child for talking about his nightmare with Kobayashi. It was nothing more than a bad dream and with Kobayashi’s protective barrier there was little chance of it becoming a reality. Even so it felt good to get it off his chest. So many times in the past he had to carry around vivid nightmares without telling a soul. Most of the time they were dreams about his older brother who he hadn’t seen in years. There was never anyone he could talk to about these dreams. When he was younger he told Akechi sometimes, but now he was too old to approach the subject with the bearded man. Akechi wasn’t his father no matter how much he’d wished for it. 

 

When Kobayashi said that he didn’t  dream he felt even more guilty about talking. Logically he knew that he wasn’t the only person in the world who had nightmares, yet a part of him felt that he was alone in this. 

“Hey!”

“What? I’m sorry... I was lost in thought. What were you saying?”

“What are we doing here?”

“Well, we don’t have any missions for us today.”

This wasn’t a complete lie. There were missions that Akechi would put them on, but today 

Akechi seemed to be giving them a break.  At times Akechi could be more than understanding, although he knew tomorrow they would most likely be swamped with missions and paperwork.

“Then why did you make me come? I could’ve stayed at my home.”

“I wanted to spend time with you. Besides, you should start thinking of this place as your second home. We’ll be spending a lot of time here.”

There was something that flashed in those Ruby-eyes. The flicker of emotion went by too fast, but it made his heart skip all the same. 

“This place is always open to you. And I’m always a call away. No matter what you can depend on the club.”

“Tch.” 

Kobayashi’s tongue click didn’t seem to have as much sass in it as usual, which made him think that the silver haired boy was faking annoyance. Then again it was probably his wishful thinking. 

“Let’s switch to something else?” He said as he laid out some paper and markers. 

He had read that drawing was a good way to work on emotional expression and right now he felt like he could use a relaxing task. He could feel those ruby eyes on him as he scribbled an angry face using the red marker.  Then he took a blue marker quickly drawing a sad face. And lastly he drew a happy face using the yellow marker.

“See you can draw out emotions like this.” He said showing off his art.

“Your drawings are terrible.” 

The remark held no venom, which made him smile. 

“Would you like to try?” He said handing a small stack of papers to Kobayashi.

It took him a little while to realize why Kobayashi was hesitant about taking the paper. Pulling his hand back more on the pages so they just barely held together he waited to see if Kobayashi could take it from him. Those thin small fingers at long last were able to grab hold of the papers without the protective barrier turning it to shreds. It seemed like a huge accomplishment and even the invincible boy seemed to think so too ,based on the momentary sparkle in those ruby eyes. 

“What would I draw?”Kobayashi asked, looking down at the blank pages.

“We can pick an emotion and draw about a time that we felt that way.”

 

///

Kobayashi was ready to protest to this stupid idea,but maybe there was something to this stupidity. Only a moment before he was able to actually take the paper from Hanasaki without anything bad happening. Usually to avoid anything Hanasaki would leave whatever the item was far enough between each other that he could pick it up on his own without the barrier interfering. His heart practically stopped when he was able to touch the edge of the papers while Hanasaki’s fingers had lingered on the opposite edge before being removed. It was the closest thing to touching another person he had gotten. 

“You can draw how you’re feeling right now.”

How was he feeling? How was it possible to do such a thing when everything he was experiencing was without a name? Taking a hold of a nearby marker he didn’t dare look up from the page. 

“What are you going to draw?” He asked.

“umm...Let’s draw something that makes us happy.” Hanasaki said with a grin. “Just remember the song.”

“Don’t sing it!” He quickly said.

“Alright.” Hanasaki chuckled. 

The room turned silent as they began to draw. The sound of the markers gliding against the paper wasn’t at all unpleasant to his ears. The feel of the marker in his hand was one that was unfamiliar since he hadn’t any memory of using this sort of thing before. Based on the song he should be drawing food which made him happy,but his hand almost refused to draw it. He didn’t really know how to draw, still he couldn’t just sit there all day staring at Hanasaki as the idiot drew. 

It was at that moment that he realized he had been staring. The way Hanasaki’s hand moved across the paper with one marker then the next was almost mesmerizing. 

“Kobayashi?” Hanasaki asked looking up from the page.

Suddenly those Cerulean eyes were meeting his. Why was it that everytime those eyes met his that his heart would act strange?

“Kobayashi? You’re bleeding.”

“What?”

“Your finger.” Hanasaki pointed. 

Looking down he did notice the smallest cut on the top of his index finger. This cut didn’t sting as much as the cut he got on a mission that one time. It was so small, dripping only a little blood.

“It must be a paper cut. I can get you a band-aid if you want.”

Without time to object Hanasaki already got up and went out of the room. It really was too quiet without Hanasaki around. Looking around the room he wondered if this was Hanasaki’s home. There were things like the strange books he had looked at before that told him Hanasaki had a place here,yet it seemed a little to empty to be the idiots home. It wasn’t as if he had much things but this room didn’t look as lived in as he expected. In fact the the room except of the books seemed to lack any of Hanasaki’s presence at all. The last time he was here he didn’t notice it, however with Hanasaki gone it seemed like a regular room. 

“Why am I thinking about this?” He muttered to himself.

“I’m back.” Hanasaki said holding a small box. “Since I can’t help put on the band-aid I’ll show you how to do it.” 

Opening the box he watched as Hanasaki pulled out what looked like two strips of thin paper. He took one once it was placed down between them, making sure that his barrier wouldn’t cause any trouble. With the thin paperlike item in hand he watched as Hanasaki demonstrated how to open it. Slowly in unison they peeled the packaging,exposing the band aid. 

“This can be tricky. So you want to make sure you put the square on the cut.”

Mimicking to the best of his ability he was able to successfully place the bandaid on. He wondered how it would’ve felt to have Hanasaki place it on him instead of just mimicking the actions.

“Now we're twins.” Hanasaki laughed as he wriggled his bandaged finger. 

Kobayashi could feel the heat in his cheeks for a split second. The band aid felt strange on his skin, but it wasn’t unpleasant.

Moments passed before they finished their drawings. He barely paid attention to what he was drawing as he kept glancing between his bandaged finger and Hanasaki’s. Hanasaki’s face was also a big distraction, the idiot’s face looked so serious and every now and then Hanasaki would push back his hair from his face. 

“Are you ready to show off your art?” Hanasaki asked.

“Sure.” He said as his attention shifted to Hanasaki’s hands, which was covered in color. 

“Okay, I want to show you mine first.” 

Excitedly Hanasaki turned around the paper to show off his drawing. With all the color on Hanasaki’s hands he had expected something beyond words. What actually was on the paper was strange. He couldn’t really tell what it was. It had two faces like the ones the idiot had drawn earlier as an example one was very happy and the other had a face that looked almost sad. These faces were way too big and were attached to long lines that connected to each other. The background was filled with color,which made it even harder to tell what was what.

“What is that?” He asked unable to hold it back anymore.

“It’s a picture of us. See, this is me and this is you.” Hanasaki said pointing to the happy face then the other face. “Their stickmen.” 

“Why are they connected here?”

“Because we’re holding hands.”

“Why?”

“Because we are friends looking at the rainbow in the sky.”

Kobayashi could feel the heat return to his face the more Hanasaki explained the drawing. A strange light feeling was rising up. Initially, he thought it was a cough, but as it moved up a weird noise came out of his mouth. Quickly he slapped his hand on his mouth, unsure what that was.

 

//

“Did you just laugh?” Hanasaki asked dumbfounded.

He could’ve sworn that the invincible boy had just laughed. It didn’t hurt his feelings that the laugh was at his own expense. More than anything he was shocked at the small squeal of laughter that had escaped from the person in front of him. 

“What?” Kobayashi asked, face back to its normal aloof state.

Perhaps it was in his head, even so, he smiled at the thought of Kobayashi laughing. He was the furthest thing from being an artist, this drawing was worth a laugh or two. 

“Can you show me your drawing?”

He watched as Kobayashi’s face seemed to turn a shade red as he looked at his own drawing. 

“No.” 

“Come on I showed you mine. I promise I won’t laugh at it.”

Those stubborn ruby eyes were relentless. He couldn’t figure out what was wrong with the drawing that Kobayashi would act like this. 

“This is stupid.” Kobayashi said as he crumpled up the drawing. 

He wasn’t sure what to do. He had hoped that by going first and showing off his lack of skills that it would make Kobayashi more comfortable to share. 

“Let's take a break. I can get us something to eat.” 

“Tch. Fine.” Kobayashi said as he got up.

Taking the opportunity he slyly grabbed the discarded crumpled paper and slipped it into his pocket. If Kobayashi noticed it didn’t show. 

“I’m going to return this.” He said holding the first aid kit. “ I’ll meet you in the main area.”

With Kobayashi gone from sight he unfolded the crumpled paper. The image left him speechless. He had expected to see a crude drawing of a hamburger, but what was on this paper was beautiful. He wondered how Kobayashi has even managed to draw something so artistically with the cheap markers he had provided. Hanasaki recognized what it was instantly since it was something he saw everyday. It was his eyes, drawn as if it were professionally done. There was so much detail that it was like looking in a mirror. His heart fluttered at the thought that Kobayashi had paid so much attention to create this masterpiece. 

“Why didn’t he want me to see this?” 

 

###

Author notes:

How did you like it? The paper cut portion was inspired by the vast number of paper cuts I got last week at work. I have no idea how I get so much within a week. *Sigh*

I have yet to finish watching Trickster, stopping at ep.15, but I think that I might end this story around the anime’s ep. 12 story. I’m not 100% sure about this yet. Thoughts?


	9. Surprise

“What took you so long?” Kobayashi asked once Hanasaki met back with him.

“I got a little distracted.”

Kobayashi didn’t like the look Hanasaki was giving. It seemed like the idiot was trying to hide something from him. Whatever it was could wait until after he was fed to deal with it.

“Food.”

“I’ll get right on it,” Hanasaki said with a smile.

That smiling face was bothering him a lot more now because of the stupid drawing. For some reason, Kobayashi kept finding himself looking at Hanasaki’s eyes. They held such a bright color...his favorite color, not that he would tell a soul about that.

 

//

In a corner of the main area, there was a small fridge that Akechi tended to fill with snacks for the long nights he spent at his desk. He doubted Akechi would mind if they took a few things. When he opened the fridge, however, there was nothing except a few beers.

“Tch.” He heard Kobayashi’s tongue click with annoyance.

“Looks like we have to go out.”

“You kids better not be sneaking into my liquor.” Akechi said, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

“Busted.” Hanasaki chuckled. “We were just getting some food.”

“I suggest that you get it elsewhere. Unless you want to get a heavy workload.”

Akechi’s tone was playful, yet the threat still held weight.  With everything that happened with Twenty Faces, he knew things would get tough. Akechi was allowing them to have a moment of freedom and Hanasaki knew he had better make the most of it.

“Let’s go get something from the vending machine.”

 

///

With fresh food being shoveled into his mouth Kobayashi’s mood was getting better. Still, it nagged him that he wasn’t getting any closer to dying. He couldn’t see what good it was to be doing silly things as drawing or learning about emotions.

“When are you going to kill me?” He asked already done with the nonsense Hanasaki was putting him through.

“I’m still working on it.” Hanasaki said just before he received a call.

The look on Hanasaki’s face when he looked at the pendant was different from the usual stupid smile that graced the idiot’s face.  He wanted to ask what was wrong.

“Don’t worry about it.” Hanasaki smiled as he hung up on the call.

“Stop that.”

“I’ll never stop smiling while around you.” Hanasaki beamed.

“Idiot.” He said as he took another bite.

//

The call he just hung up on could wait. It wasn’t worth ruining a day like this. For now, he had to put his plan into action. The idea had hit him out of nowhere and it was just what was needed to boost spirits after yesterday’s events.In order for it to work, he needed to contact a few people. He had already slipped Akechi a note.

“I have an idea. There’s someone who you should meet.”

“Is this person going to kill me?”

“It’s possible. You’ll have to wait and see.”

  


Making their way up the to the fourth floor of the building Hanasaki could feel nervousness creep in. This was a big deal as far as he was concern. In hindsight, it would’ve been easier to just send a message to get his plan in action, but the day was still early and it was important for Kobayashi to start meeting more people. Deep down he knew that he didn’t truly want to share Kobayashi with anyone else. At the same time, he wanted to open up any experience he could for the silver-haired boy he’d come to be so attached to.

“Why are we here?”

“It’s good to know who you’re working with.” He said as he rang the doorbell.

“I told you to send in a request  before showing up!”

“Kobayashi meet the shut in Noro.”

“Ugg. What does an idiot like you need with me?” Noro complained as she let them in.

“Don’t be rude. You should be making me look good.”

“But you are an idiot.” Kobayashi commented.

“Ouch. That hurt. You two have no respect.”

“For you? Of course not. I suppose that makes us compatible.” Noro said.

///

Kobayashi was at a lost for the purpose of coming here. Seeing the person behind the voice he heard coming from an owl was interesting. He never imagined that the voice belonged to someone who looked like this, not that he had a reason to think about it before.

“I really hate that you are interrupting my hot yoga time.” Noro complained to Hanasaki. “ While you’re here I need to collect some data on you.” She said looking at him.

He didn’t like the way he was being looked at, but it didn’t bring up the strange feelings like when Hanasaki looked at him.

“He doesn’t know much about himself.” Hanasaki said taking the clipboard from Noro.

“Really? How old are you?”

“I don’t know.”

“Interesting, you know there are ways to figure that out like examining your bones.... You can’t be that much younger than us... I say 14, but a test should be conducted. Do you know anything about yourself?”

“My name.”

“So all you’ve retained is your name....retrograde amnesia?”

“I didn’t bring him here to be dissected by you Noro.”

“You can be a buzz kill sometimes.” Noro said taking back the clipboard.

There was a short exchange between Hanasaki and Noro that he didn’t know what it meant. Hanasaki was acting suspiciously.

“Sorry for interrupting your activities Noro. Let’s go, Kobayashi.”

There was no sense in questioning what was going on. Whatever it was he hoped that it would be worth all this confusion.

///

Hanasaki couldn’t help the growing excitement. With Akechi and Noro informed of his plans to throw Kobayashi a surprise party it would be a matter of time before the Silver Haired boy would experience his first birthday party. For now, he had to remain calm to not give away anything.

“Where are we going now?”

“I was thinking about paying a visit to Inoue at school.”

“Why would we do that?”

“Inoue gets lonely sometimes.”

“Tch.”

 

Passing on the information about the secret party to Inoue and Otomo was a must for things to go correctly. It did make him slightly nervous to bring Kobayashi to school. With their clothing, they would stand out amongst the students and faculty. Standing out wouldn’t be a big issue as long as there wasn’t anything to activate Kobayashi’s ability they would be able to get in and out easily.

“This is school?” Kobayashi asked when they passed through the entrance.

“Yeah. Akechi makes me come once in awhile. There shouldn’t be too many people roaming around since exams are coming up.” He paused to look into those Ruby eyes. “Don’t worry I’ll be beside you so if you feel threatened just tell me. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable. We’ll leave right away if anything bothers you.”

 

///

Those Cerulean eyes were staring too much into his own. The thought of entering a place like this didn’t make him feel good. He hated crowds and unfamiliar places. Hanasaki’s words didn’t do much but increase his pounding heart. This was happening way to frequently for his taste.

“Would he really turn back if I asked him to?” He thought.

“Stay close to me and nothing bad will happen.” Hanasaki said with his hand stretched out.

He stared at that hand wanting nothing more than to take hold of it. Holding hands was impossible if he even tried Hanasaki would get hurt.

“ I can’t touch idiot.”

“Oh.” Hanasaki said retracting his hand. “I guess I forgot. Sorry.”

“Tch. Whatever. Let’s go find Inoue.”

Kobayashi did remain as close to Hanasaki as his barrier would allow him. This place was covered with people, the sound of multiple people chatting was beginning to drive him crazy. He felt so out of place, especially with the people wearing the same outfit. Kobayashi was trying his best to remain calm in this environment. More than anything he didn’t want to have an incident.

“Inoue’s probably in the library. It’ll be quieter there.”

 

The place Hanasaki called the library was quieter and there were fewer people there.  The tension that he had felt moments before was fading away. Once they found Inoue he wouldn’t have to worry about keeping himself in check.

“There you are Inoue.” Hanasaki called out, receiving a glare from Inoue.

“If you’re here I suggest you study for exams.” Inoue said.

“Yo Katsuda how have you been?”

“Don’t ignore me.”

“I’ll study some other time. Hey, Katsuda I want to officially introduce you to the newest member of the Boy Detective’s Club. This is Kobayashi.”

He didn’t like this sudden introduction.

“We technically met the other day, but it’s nice to formally meet you.”

Kobayashi assumed that this person was the one who saved Inoue. The voice sounded familiar, but he had been so exhausted that he hadn’t memorized the face before. Katsuda seemed to be a good person who was close to Inoue.

“Hi.” He said, still feeling uncomfortable.

“Hey, Kobayashi can you go grab me a magazine from over there?” Hanasaki asked pointing to a small pile on a nearby desk.

“Sure?”  “Hanasaki is definitely acting suspiciously today.” He thought as he went to get a magazine.

Magazines were much different than the books Hanasaki had given him before. They were a lot thinner and more colorful. Kobayashi wasn’t sure what Hanasaki wanted as many had different images on them. One caught his eye, which had a cover of food. Picking up that one and one at random for Hanasaki he returned to where the trio were talking.

“Find something good?”

“I guess.”

“Great let's go. See you guys later.” Hanasaki waved.

“We can take these?”

“Yeah. They’re old so the library lets people take them. What did you get for me?”

“This.” He said holding up the magazine.

“Looks good. I’m going to take it now.”

Both were mindful of the distant as Kobayashi did his best to hand the magazine over. His heart was pounding like crazy as he inched his fingers to the far edges. They had been able to touch the same paper moments before, but neither of them could tell if it was a one time thing.

“Please don’t let anything happen.” He thought as Hanasaki’s fingers connected to the opposite edge.

Slowly he could feel the magazine slip from his fingers and into Hanasaki’s. A bright smiled extended onto Hanasaki’s face.

“You did it! If we practice more then maybe we could high-five after a completed mission.”

Kobayashi couldn’t believe it. Staring at his hand he was unsure of the warmth in his chest he was feeling.

“Come on. There’s one more person I need to talk to.”

 

//

Kobayashi couldn’t look cuter than the moment they just shared. Hanasaki had to hold back from trying to hug the silver haired boy. They made their way up to the science room.

It took less than a minute for Otomo to call out to them.

“So this must be the famous Kobayashi I’ve heard so much about. It’s nice to meet you in person.”

“Who?”Kobayashi began to ask.

“How rude Hanasaki.” Otomo interrupted. “How could you not have told him about me?”

Hanasaki knew that he was messing around, but didn’t know what the purpose of it was. This guy was always slightly off, which is probably what made them click so well.

“Don’t be like that. By the way, your device worked so well the other day.”

“You almost sound surprised.”

“Your devices always get the job done.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Kobayashi growing bored with the conversation.

“Kobayashi this is Otomo. He helps us out a lot.”

“Hi.” Kobayashi spoke up before turning his attention to the magazine in his hands.

“Not much of a talker is he?” Otomo whispered to him.

“He’s a shy guy...There’s a favor I wanted to ask of you.”

“Oh? What’s in it for me?”

“One favor of your choosing.” He said without thinking.

“You better hope that you don’t regret that.”

Otomo was right. He hadn’t thought of what the favor would be, but it didn’t matter as long as his plans for Kobayashi’s party went along.

“Do we have a deal?” He asked outstretching his hand.

“Deal.” Otomo said shaking Hanasaki’s hand.

 

///

“Are we done yet?” Kobayashi asked.

“You just got here.You can play with this.” Otomo said as he tossed his boomerang shaped device.

Before anyone could say anything the device flew towards Kobayashi and shattered upon impact with the invisible barrier. Kobayashi didn’t know what to do.

“What do you think you’re doing?” A younger student asked entering the room at the same time the device was destroyed. “I am so sorry. You aren’t hurt, are you? Otomo can be a huge bully.”

Kobayashi didn’t know who this person was and the closer he got the more uncomfortable he felt.

“I’m fine.”

“Otomo you really shouldn’t be playing with self-destruct features again!” The younger student scolded as he started to clean up the mess. “I’m Yamane.”

“Kobayashi.”

“...You don’t go to school here.” Yamane said taking a good look at him,

“He’s with me.” Hanasaki spoke up.

“Why are you bringing in innocent people to this mad man’s work? Isn’t it bad enough that I have to suffer?”

“If I recall correctly it was you who asked to be my assistant.” Otomo said.

“That was before I knew just how much of a bully you were.”

The interactions between these two was strange. It set off that annoying feeling in the pit of his stomach as the Yamane started to hit his hands against Otomo’s chest, making the older one laugh. The way Otomo could take hold of Yamane’s hands upset him. More and more he was becoming aware of how much those things made him feel. Dropping his gaze to his own hand he wondered if there was a way to get rid of these feelings.

“We should be going. It was nice catching up.” He heard Hanasaki say.

Together they left, but he didn’t raise his gaze up from his hands. Instead, he pretended to keep looking at the magazine.

“Are you upset?”

“No .”

“You know that Otomo didn’t mean to hit you...”

“I know.” He said cutting Hanasaki off.

He didn’t feel up to doing this again. He just wanted to go home. There was no point in anything they had done today. He wasn’t getting closer to dying, it was a completely meaningless day that seemed to stretch on forever.

“It’s been a long day. I don’t blame you if you’re tired.” Hanasaki said.

They walked alongside a river, it reminded him of when he tried to escape for Hanasaki upon their second meeting. If things had gone differently he wondered if he would ever be in a similar position as this. Unconsciously he followed Hanasaki down the hill, stopping a few feet away from the water.

“What are you doing?” He asked once he noticed they had stopped.

“Look at the view.”

Lifting his head he saw the sunlight reflect on the water, sparkling. He hadn’t noticed this before. There wasn’t much that he had paid attention to before he had met Hanasaki. Before there was no need for him to sit besides the river edge as he was now. If someone asked why they had both sat down without a word and stared at the glittering water he wouldn’t be able to give a straight answer.

The sky was starting to turn a slightly pink when Hanasaki got up quickly.

“Wait here.”

Before he could ask what was going on Hanasaki was running up the hill and out of sight. Time seemed to tick on slowly when the idiot was away.

“Did he just leave me here?” He thought.

Pushing away the thought he stared out at the water.

“If he left me it’s not a problem.” He thought. “I’ll just go home...I don’t have to follow him anymore...Why am I even still here.”

The more he thought the more he could feel himself getting worked up.  Clicking his tongue he stood up.

“He’s taking too long I’m going!”

“Sorry I took so long.” Hanasaki's voice rang, making Kobayashi quickly turn around.

“What’s that?” He asked pointing to the two small wrapped items in his hands.

“It’s a special treat for keeping me company. It’s ice cream.”

Hanasaki outstretched the thing he called ice cream towards him. Skeptical of what ice cream was he hesitantly reached for the wrapped treat. Upon the first touch, he noticed it was cold.

“You’re getting better at handling things.” Hanasaki beamed as he removed his fingers from the opposite edge of the ice cream wrapper.

Taking a firm grip on the wrapped treat he watched as Hanasaki opened his own ice cream. Following the same motion, he removed the wrapper. Ice cream in his opinion looked odd. It was round on top and had a pointed end. This was the first time he had something like this and was unsure of how to eat it. Unable to bare the stares from Hanasaki he quickly bit into it and regretted it. Ice cream was so cold that even his dulled senses were shocked by it. He must’ve made a face as Hanasaki bursted out into laughter.

“It’s not funny!”

“It...Kinda ...is.” Hanasaki said through the laughter.

Angrily he bit into the ice cream. Once again he regretted his decision as Hanasaki burst out into more laughter.

“You need to eat it slowly since you're not used to it.” Hanasaki said licking his own ice cream.

Kobayashi was captivated with the way Hanasaki’s tongue danced across the frozen treat lapping up the dripping parts.  He had never noticed how pink Hanasaki’s lips were before now.When the ice cream in his own hand started to drip onto him he snapped his gaze away.

“What am I doing?” He thought as he licked the dripping ice cream from his own hand.

“How is it?”

“It’s sweet.” He said still feeling some heat on his face.

“It’s getting late. We should go.”

“Go?”

“Come on.”

 

When they arrived back at the base he wondered why Hanasaki was so excited to get back.

“SURPRISE!” the room erupted as they stepped out of the elevator.

Confused couldn’t even come close to how he was feeling at this moment. He heard a pop sound before colorful paperlike lines hit his barrier and trickled down to the ground in pieces. Everyone was standing around with huge smiles on their faces that made him feel so out of place.

“What is this?”

“It’s a surprise party! Since you don’t know your birthday we decided to celebrate it today.” Hanasaki said. “Come on let's dig in I know you’re starving!”

There was no need to tell him twice as he grabbed a slice of what Hanasaki called pizza. It was delicious. Kobayashi couldn’t tell if the growing warmth in his chest was because of the pizza or because of the party. Everyone seemed so happy, smiling from ear to ear and laughing as hot cheese stuck to his face as he quickly munched on another slice. He wasn’t too sure what was great about birthday parties, but the food was more than enough for him. All these familiar faces around him made him feel slightly uncomfortable, but not as much as it would’ve a few days ago. Looking around the room he realised just how much his life had changed in a short time. It wasn’t that long ago that he was completely alone in the world. He had barely existed in this life and here he was in a room filled with people enjoying themselves. Despite this realization a nagging empty feeling still tugged at him. Sure his world around him had changed, still that didn’t mean that he had change.

“Hey, birthday boy!”Hanasaki announced before the group started singing.

In any other moment, he would’ve been annoyed by the upbeat song, yet the cake in Hanasaki’s hands prevented him from protesting. Once the song ended he was told to blow out the candle. Everyone with the exception of Hanasaki stood far away as he approached the small flame on the cake set in front of him. This reaction emphasised the distance he constantly felt from them.

“Go on.” Hanasaki encouraged.

Those cerulean eyes made it hard to breathe and yet they made him feel seen. It was always those eyes that looked at him as an actual person rather than just something taking up space.

“Don’t forget to make a wish.” Akechi said.

A wish? There wasn’t much that Kobayashi wished for besides death. Life had been cruel to force him into isolation from the rest of the world. For as long as he remembered he wanted to die. Wanted to be rid of the pain of the monotonous days that he had spent alone. Death was the only thing he had wished for so many times it was strange that it wasn’t the first thing that popped into his head.

Closing his eyes as instructed he blew out the candles without much thought of what to wish. Wishes were nonsense anyways. The very second he let out a puff of breath his mind flashed to Hanasaki’s smiling face.

“What did you wish for?” Akechi asked.

“He can’t tell you that r else it won’t come true.” Hanasaki scolded. “Come on. There’s something I want to show you.”

 

Following Hanasaki they went up to the roof. Something large was set there covered. Once the whole party made it to the top of the roof Akechi and hanasaki took the edge of the covering.

With a yank, the covering unveiled that underneath it was a ferris wheel cart, his ferris wheel cart. The same cart he had spent so many nights in, this was his home. There were no words to express the tightening in his chest.

“Now you can live with the rest of us.” Hanasaki smiled.

Although he would never admit it those words were enough to make him burst into tears.

 

######

Authors notes:

Hey, guys long time no see. Sorry for the MIA the end of the year got me caught up in research papers. I am back to writing now so hopefully, I can get more chapters up. Looking at the comments perhaps I just might continue the story past the original episode 12 concept. No spoilers please, I still need to finish watching the anime. I swear I will get around to it before the end of may and decide whether or not to incorporate those events into this version of the story. Honestly, I already had a significant idea for the rewrite of the original episodes 11-12, but we'll see where that goes now. 

Thank you, everyone for reading. Summer is approaching so I should have more time to write and update.

 

  
  



	10. What is a home?

Everyone had worked so hard to make the surprise party the best possible. And the almost impossible task of moving Kobayashi’s home from the abandoned site to the roof of the base had gone well. Based on the glassy eyes of the birthday boy Hanasaki believed they had succeeded in their efforts. Of course, the tears never fell from Kobayashi’s eyes and the mask of indifference quickly reconstructed. Regardless the party had gone off without incident. By the time everyone said their goodbyes he was left with Kobayashi on the roof exhausted.

The night sky was covered in stars, framing the full moon. Moonlight highlighted Kobayashi’s silver hair in a way that could only be described as breathtaking. It was as if the moonlight was his very own spotlight, making those ruby eyes stand out more than before. In this moment it was just them and if it were possible he would embrace Kobayashi.

“Thanks.” Kobayashi mumbled.

“What was that?” He asked wanting to hear it clearly.

“When are you going home?” Kobayashi asked annoyed.

“Can’t I stay here with you?”

“You’re not that big of an idiot.”

Hanasaki knew that he couldn’t stay here. The constant barrage of phone calls told him he would have to return home sooner or later. Despite this knowledge, he didn’t want to leave Kobayashi’s side.  He wanted to make sure that the party had been enjoyed by the birthday boy. It was his first birthday and it had to be the best. Also, he didn’t want to return to that cold place, especially when he was becoming increasingly aware of his feelings towards the person in front of him now.  

“Can I stay until you fall asleep at least?”

“....No...”

The hesitation gave him a glimmer of hope. On Top of the roof the winds easily made him shiver. He wondered if Kobayashi’s barrier prevented him from these cold nights.

“You’re cold.” Kobayashi pointed out. “You should leave.”

“Will you be alright? I can grab you a blanket.”

“I’m fine....Leave before you get sick again. It would be a huge bother if I have to take care of you again.”

This was Kobayashi’s way of telling him he cared. Hanasaki couldn’t help smile knowing this.

“Do you really want me to leave so soon?”

“....”

The temperature was dropping noticeably. In the lights, he could see his breath. His usual orange outfit did not provide the necessary warmth to combat the cold.  Still, he enjoyed the cold, especially if he was with Kobayashi. Holding his lips together for a while he let out a bigger exhale and watched his breath come out in a large puff.

 

///

“What are you doing?” Kobayashi asked as Hanasaki appeared to be doing something strange again.

“Just watching my breath. It’s oddly relaxing.”

No matter how long he stayed with Hanasaki he doubted he would understand the odd moments that came from nowhere like this. If it was cold enough to his breath he didn’t understand why Hanasaki wasn’t going back into the base where it was warm. Another puff of air emerged in the light, expanding before disappearing completely. Standing besides Hanasaki he took in a deep breath and exhaled. His breath was not as visible as Hanasaki’s breath, perhaps it was because of the dulled sensations he was cursed with. All too sudden a burst of laughter erupted from Hanasaki.

“I didn’t think you would join me.”

“It’s the fastest way to get rid of you.”

“True.”  Hanasaki chuckled.

The buzzing coming from Hanasaki’s pocket was without a doubt the same called he was avoiding all day.  Silently he watched as Hanasaki silenced the call again.

“Sorry.”

Biting his lip he hoped Hanasaki would tell him what was going. Asking was out of the question since whatever it was definitely upset the usual nauseating happy-go-lucky idiot.

“I hate to ask this but would you mind coming with me somewhere tomorrow?”

“Where?”

“My house.”

Kobayashi was unsure of what to say. Sure Hanasaki had seen his home many times; however,  the thought of going to Hanasaki’s house was unnerving. Just spending the night in the small room here while Hanasaki was sick was difficult. There was nothing forcing him to agree, if he wanted to he could say no. He knew he should say no. He was convinced that nothing good that could come out from him going with Hanasaki. It wasn’t as if a visit would kill him. He didn’t want to deal with people for a while, he felt spent after today.Those creaulan eyes however, were practically begging for him to say yes.

“Fine...Just get out of here so I can sleep.” He said as he moved towards the ferris wheel cart.

 

 

///

When the time came Hanasaki brought him to the house that he had once called home. From Kobayashi’s wide-eyed look it was safe to say that this wasn’t what the boy expected. He still could remember being just as awestruck by the large house and lavish greenery when he was first brought here. As they made their way into the house he had to hold back on Kobayashi’s obvious childlike wonder. Having the silver-haired boy by his side made him feel more at ease. Hanasaki almost felt guilty for bringing Kobayashi here when he knew that they couldn’t be together when it counted.

They stopped at the pool that lived in the center of the courtyard of the house. From this position he could see his father’s office blinds closed. With the smallest shred of hope in his heart, he wondered if that meant his father was out.

“Water?” He heard Kobayashi ask in a hush tone.

“It’s a pool.” He said as he dipped his hand into the cool water.

“Ahem.” His servant cleared his throat.

“Who’s that?”

“Your father would like to speak with you.” The servant said before he could respond to Kobayashi.

“Kobayashi wait here okay?”

Hanasaki didn’t want to introduce the silver-haired boy to his father. It was for Kobayashi’s sake that the two were far away from one another.

“There’s things around you can play with if you get bored. I shouldn’t take too long.”

“You better not.”

 

 

 

“You wanted to see me father?” Hanasaki asked when he approached the desk in his father’s office.

The office was decorated from ceiling to the floor, which mimicked the luxurious taste that was throughout the house. Even though this office belonged to his father it was rare to be in this place. He held only few memories of this house despite the years he had lived in it. This office held only tough memories of businesslike protocol and scoldings. As he grew up seeing his father had become a rarity, so much so that he couldn’t understand why all of a sudden he was standing before the man.

“Is there some business you wanted to discuss with me?” He asked.

“Can’t a father talk to his son?”

The question almost made him laugh. In truth he hadn’t been this man’s son for years. The words of father and son were merely titles they held. Deep down Hanasaki knew he had grown bitter about this fact. Once he truly saw this man as a father, but without his brother that soon changed.

“What is with that horrible outfit? You should be dressing more professional.”

He loved this orange jumpsuit but chose not to say anything about it. His words wouldn’t be listened to anyways.

“I also don’t appreciate you goofing off.”

“I’m not goofing off.” He mumbled.

“I have allowed you to do as you please as long as you don’t cause any trouble, however you are getting to the age where you need to start putting aside this nonsense.”

This was typical of his father. Hanasaki knew that being a boy detective wasn’t an appropriate thing for him to do in the eyes of his father. It didn’t matter to him either way. For as long as he could he would remain a part of the club.

His eyes drifted outside of the window where he could see Kobayashi at the poolside.

“You must remember that you’re the eldest of the Hanasaki family.”

“That’s not true.” He once again mumbled under his breath.

“I want you to think seriously of your future.” His father said as he stood up from his desk before exiting the room.

Hanasaki disliked meeting with his father. This whole trip was worthless, still he didn’t think all was bad as the look of Kobayashi at the pool brought a smile to his face. Regardless of  what harsh words he had to face now he couldn’t let them bother him, at least not while Kobayashi was around. This would be the first time if not last that  this place resembled anything like a happy home with Kobayashi present and he wasn’t going to let this moment go by easily. Quickly he raced down to the poolside. Stripping himself of his orange jumpsuit he leapt into the pool.  The cool water felt refreshing against his skin. Looking over at Kobayashi he wondered why the silver-haired boy hadn’t removed his large jacket.

 

//

Kobayashi had been enjoying floating on the water when the idiot had jumped into the pool. Well enjoying wasn’t the right word.  It had irked him to be left alone without any knowledge of how long he would be alone or what was the purpose of being brought here. An unsettling feeling had set in when he had happened to glance up at the room Hanasaki had stared at. A man stood by the window side and he did not look happy to see him. It made sense since he was a stranger, but that look was more than anger at an unwanted guest. How he knew that he couldn’t really say, though it felt like the man’s eyes were shooting daggers at him. He had felt a lot better about being left alone in that moment. When an orange cladded idot took the spot of the man in the window he was able to pull out the things Hanasaki said he could play with. It took utmost caution on his side not to break the weird device as he moved it into the pool. He half expected it to sink so when it floated he hesitantly got on.

Anxiousness seemed to ripple away the moment the idiot jumped in causing him to struggle keeping his barrier from popping the floating device he was on.

“Careful.” He glared at Hanasaki.

“Don’t worry about it.” Hanasaki said as he swam over to the edge of the pool.

He stared almost transfixed at how gracefully Hanasaki moved within the water. Hanasaki seemed more carefree in the water if that was even possible. The water practically reflected in those cerulean eyes, which stood out even more among the wet strands of brunette hair. His eyes followed Hanasaki as he got out of the pool, making his way to where he had found the floatation device. Without the orange jumpsuit on Kobayashi glanced Hanasaki’s body up and down. He could feel his face heat up when their eyes met.

“Who was that man?” He asked shifting his wondering eyes towards the window where he saw the scary man.

“That was my father.” Hanasaki said turning back to the pile of pool toys.

“Really?”

The man seemed nothing like Hanasaki. Although he only saw the man for a few seconds from a window there were noticeable differences between the two. He half expected Hanasaki’s father to be a complete blubbering idiot who would annoy him with smiles and attempts at hugging. The man from the window was cold.

 

///

“I’m adopted.” Hanasaki said at the confusion on Kobayashi’s face. “I’m not blood-related to my father or even my brother.”

“Brother?”

Hanasaki didn’t feel like talking about his family right now. He knew that answering Kobayashi’s questions would set off unwanted feelings that the other wasn’t aware of. The topic of his brother was especially sensitive, was which he could only talk vaguely about with little problem. Deciding to remove unpleasant thoughts from his mind he grabbed a water gun and playfully shot it at Kobayashi.

“I can actually hit you with this?”  He said in shock as the water from the gun actually connected with Kobayashi’s body.

This was a huge discovery and worth the time to come and speak with his father.

“Stop it!” Kobayashi said as Hanasaki continued to spray water at him.

This action made him think back to when his brother still lived in this house. He wouldn’t let up on spraying Kobayashi. It was too satisfying to know that although he couldn’t physically touch him he could do this. Perhaps there were other things that he could do with Kobayashi.

“Stop!” Kobayashi said as he splashed water back at Hanasaki.

“You’re going to have to do better than that.” He laughed when the water connected only slightly with his feet.

In this moment there was no care in the world. Hanasaki was free to have fun with the ruby-eyed boy he’d come to care deeply for. He wanted more moments like this. He was sure this was the first time Kobayashi had a water fight with another person. Hanasaki hoped that he could be there for many of Kobayashi’s first times as he could. He wanted to be there for the first true moment of laughter, for the first smile, the first touch.

The soaking wet form of Kobayashi made his heart flutter as the baggy clothes clinged on to the small frame. Kobayashi was truly tiny underneath  the usual outfit.

“We should get your clothes dried off. Next time I’ll lend you a pair of swim shorts.”

“Tch.” Kobayashi clicked his tongue.

 

//

 

The room in the mansion was devoid of the Hanasaki that he knew.  This place was so grand that it mimicked parts of his own deteriorating home. The decor only acted as a distraction to the empty feeling that hung around.

Kobayashi was hesitant to take off his clothes. These were the only clothing he had and the only thing he felt comfortable wearing. Even if the clothing now hung uncomfortably to his body it wasn’t the worst thing that he had experienced.

“You should really change your clothing.” Hanasaki said as he laid a towel in front of him. “You can borrow  something from me if you like.”

“I’m fine.” He said stubbornly.

“You really want to stand around in soaked clothing?”

“I wouldn’t have to if you hadn’t got me this wet.” He retorted.

“If I could I would strip you.”

Kobayashi paused at those words. Something about the way Hanasaki said them made his body feel warm, uncomfortably warm. His eyes started to wonder again, looking at the practically naked person in front of him. He didn’t know why his focus kept coming back to Hanasaki’s lean muscled torso. It looked different from the way his own chest and stomach looked, based on the one time he even bothered to look in at himself.

“If it makes you feel better I can leave while you change...”

Hanasaki’s voice broke him out of this mesmerization. Looking back up at Hanasaki’s face he could tell there was a red tint to his cheeks.

 

//

Those eyes were on him again. He had felt the stares at the poolside earlier,but brushed it off as nothing. Ruby eyes were once again taking in his form, it made Hanasaki feel naked, though technically he wasn’t that far off with only a towel wrapped around his waist covering up the wet boxer shorts he used in the impromptu swim.He wasn’t sure what was going through Kobayashi’s mind as he gased at him. It wasn’t as if he were shooting daggers through the look, yet it felt strange. No one had looked at him in this way and he wasn’t sure what that way was. Embarrassment was creeping up so he suggested to leave.

“Invincible or not you could get a cold from those wet clothes.” He said trying to sound normal.

“I doubt that.”

“I’m going to shower. I really insist that you get out of those wet clothes.”

He didn’t wait for a response as he entered the bathroom that connected to his room. Once behind closed doors he felt something inside relax. Hanasaki wasn’t sure if the meeting with his father was affecting him or if it was the fact that he hadn’t spoken about his brother in a long time. And then there was the feelings that those ruby eyes were stirring within him. He wasn’t a stranger to such conflicting emotions living just under the surface. Turning on the water to as hot as possible he waited for the water to wash them away. It would do no good to think about the past right now. He needed to be focused on now.

 

////

Kobayashi listened to the sound of running water for a while before he tugged at his heavy clothes. They were heavy especially his jacket, which seemed to be pulling him towards the ground. Glancing at the door one more time he shimmied out of his shorts, falling to the ground in a soft thud. Getting out of his jacket proved the most difficult as it clung to his head when he tried to lift it off his shoulders. If felt better and worse to be freed from his wet clothing. He stared at the pile of clothing wondering if it was okay to just leave them on the floor like that. If this was his home he wouldn’t worry about it, but this was Hanasaki’s home. It was a nice home that he didn’t want to ruin even if it made him feel out of place. Deciding it was better to prevent damage on the wooden floors he placed the towel under the pile of clothes.

“He’s taking too long.” He muttered to himself.

Feeling that his skin was dry enough he sat along the side of the bed. It was so soft, softer than anything he had ever felt before. Since Hanasaki appeared to be taking his time in the other room he laid into the soft bed. He liked the sensation of the soft bed beneath him, but it wasn’t as comfortable to the beaten seat that he used as his own bed.

“Sorry I took so long.” Hanasaki said, making him sit up right.

Heat rushed to his face the second he realised Hanasaki quickly looking away from his naked body.

“You can take a shower now...There... there’s an extra towel in there if you need it.”

He didn’t question what a  shower was as he slipped off the bed. Escaping into the other room would be better than staying in this situation.

 

///

The pile of Kobayashi’s wet clothes provided a much needed distraction from the awkward moment that just took place. Hanasaki hadn’t expected to see Kobayashi laying naked on his bed. Thankfully his gaze had remained above Kobayashi’s lower body before he turned around in embarrassment. In that quick glimpse he noted how fair Kobayashi’s skin was. It was evident that the previous covered skin hadn’t seen the sun in some time if ever. Bending over he picked up the drenched clothing and took it out of the room. He needed some time to calm down and these clothes needed to be cleaned. A small laundry room was not too far away so he didn’t have to fear of leaving Kobayashi alone.

“Is there something you need sir?”The servant asked.

“I just wanted to get these cleaned.”

“I will do that right away. Can’t have you destroying the machine now can we.”

Reluctantly he handed over the washing to the man. The comment made him think back to the time he had damaged the washing machine when he was young. Against his brother's warning he had wanted to help in the washing , resulting in suds exploding all over from the over use of detergent. The memory made him smile sadly. Shaking the thought of his brother scolding him all those years ago he returned to his room.  

 

///

It was tricky ,but after a while of fooling around Kobayashi managed to work the shower. His frustration had to be kept in check all throughout the ordeal so his barrier wouldn’t activate. those efforts almost were useless when the stream of water suddenly hit him from above startling him. The tugging sensation he felt when the barrier threatened to destroy his surroundings stilled his motion. Water droplets collected on the edge of the barrier and slowly slid down.

“Tch.”

He didn't understand how his barrier could allow Hanasaki to soak him with water one moment and then deny any water from touching him the next.  There was nothing dangerous about this water as far as he could tell. There was more threat of drowning in the pool than in the shower, that is if he could drown. Reaching upward towards the droplets he was shocked when the water began to slide down his arm. There was so much he needed to learn about himself. This barrier was still a mystery to him and the thing that was preventing him from his dream of death. Everything he was doing with Hanasaki was to achieve that dream. Death mocked him at every turn and not even in dreams could he be granted the release he believed death would provide. And then there was that idiot. More droplets slipped down his body as he thought about Hanasaki.

“I don’t understand.” He said towards the falling water.

 

///

The sound of the shower shutting off pulled Hanasaki from his paperwork. Usually he would procrastinate  it for as long as he could, but he figured it would  be enough to keep the thoughts of his brother at bay.

“Everything okay?” He asked with a bright smile when Kobayashi entered wrapped in a towel.

“Where’s my clothes?”

“They are getting cleaned. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Cleaned?”

“You know...in a washing machine.”

“Washing machine?”

“Do you want to see?” He asked, lighting up at the adorable way Kobayashi silently conveyed confusion.

“Where?” Kobayashi asked, eyes glancing at the paper.

“Right across the room. Don’t worry about this paperwork.”

“I want my clothes back.”

“They should be ready by now.” He said getting up from his seat. “Come on.”

 

The dryer chimed it was done the second they entered.

“Talk about perfect timing.” He thought.

He stifled his laughter when he opened the dryer door and Kobayashi slightly jumped back.

“You don’t have to be afraid.”

“I am not.”

 

///

He wasn’t afraid of the thing Hanasaki opened. It made him nervous watching Hanasaki reached into the unknown thing, even so he didn’t want to get too close just in case of his barrier. The thing had always acted strange, if he could help it he wanted to avoid it acting out.

“Stick out your hand.”

“What?”

“Just a little practice.You can do it.”

That smile seemed to make him do anything these days. Taking a breath he reached his hand out. He had been getting better at taking things from Hanasaki since they first discovered it was possible. Creaulan eyes held on his own as the sleeve of his jacket drooped into his  hand. The clothing slipped between them. Each of his clothing was returned to him and he noticed that with each clothing Hanasaki was testing how much of the fabric he could hold onto without activating the barrier. Having all his clothing now made him feel more at ease. The clean clothes smelled so good and the warmth it gave off was beyond his understanding. It was all too comfortable. His mind wondered if the machine would be a suitable place to live if it had the ability to make him feel like this.

 

///

Kobayashi looked so content if not happy in his clean clothes. Hanasaki knew it was a good idea to clean them. Clothing straight from the dryer was one thing in this world that he doubted anyone could resist. He was about to say something when his pendant rung.

“It’s Akechi.” He said to Kobayashi before answering.

“Where have you  two been?”

“I...”

“Nevermind. Hurry up and get your butts here. There is a situation going on.” Akechi interrupted.

“We’ll be right there.”

The call ended abruptly and so did the happy mood in the room. Neither one of them spoke a word. He had a horrible feeling about this.

 

 

###

Authors note:

I’m back! It has been a long time, hope you all are doing well. Thank you for reading.

When I first saw episode 7 I was completely thrown off when Kobayashi was just chilling out on Hanasaki’s bed naked after their pool session.  Anyways I’m excited to get back to writing this story. I’m going to try set up a new updating schedule so from now on I will place a date in the author notes of when I will be updating.  Next chapter is scheduled to come out on July 13th. Thank you to everyone who has been following this story.

 

 


	11. Ghost Of The  Past

This had Twenty Faces written all over it. The situation seemed to be rather serious with the majority of the police force on the case. Still, as Akechi was briefing them on the situation Hanasaki could tell that there was something not being said. It was a gut feeling that there was more to things than what was being told. He wasn’t naive enough to think that Akechi didn’t know all available details so whatever it was being kept in the dark there was a good reason for it. According to Akechi, a large group of citizens had created their own faction on the outskirts of the city. There wasn’t much known about the group or their motives.

“So far the police have managed to keep things from escalating, but the borders have raised worry in the citizens.” Inoue reported.

“What does Twenty Faces want to do with them?”

“As of right now we don’t know. He is without a doubt somehow involved. There is no possible way for a group of citizens to create this without assistance.” Inoue pondered.

“I don’t see the problem.” Kobayashi commented. “ If they want to be left alone let them.”

The nonchalant comment was something they should’ve expected from the invincible boy. It wasn’t that long ago that Kobayashi was living on his own in the abandoned building. Hanasaki knew that if roles were reversed that he too would think in the way Kobayashi did now. Growing up alone would make him feel as though it were better to be distant from others. If it weren’t for Akechi being there for him when he was younger he would still view the world in the pessimistic indifference.

“It’s not that easy Kobayashi.” He spoke, pushing his thoughts further back.

“Why?”

“We cannot allow this without risking an uprising or panic. We don’t know how many people are confined nor if they are there willingly. For now, the police are treating it as a hostage situation. Even if these people are doing this willingly they cannot remain self-sufficient for long. I don’t think they will survive past a month or so being separated from the rest of the country.” Akechi stated in a matter of fact tone.

“What needs to be done?” He asked.

“The police don’t want to risk making a move so we need to gather as much information as possible. Then and only then will we come up with a plan of action.” Akechi said with a look that told him not to do anything stupid.

“Figuring out their motives is the number one priority. Ending this peacefully is always an option.” Inoue added.

 

///

The seriousness of the room was broken by the grumbling of his stomach. They hadn’t eaten anything before coming to the base and now his body was complaining. Kobayashi was unsure of the issue of this group who wanted to be left alone. To him, anyone had the right to live away from others if they chose to. He had been fine living alone without anyone’s help and he was more than willing to make that point up until the moment Hanasaki’s face held this sad look. The grumbling of his stomach had removed the look from the idiot's face.

“We should get you something to eat.” Hanasaki said.

“I want you all to keep your eyes open. If you find any intel report it back to me in person so we don’t insight panic.” Akechi said before dismissing them with a wave of his hand.

“Let's get you something to eat shall we?” Hanasaki smiled.

“Hanasaki. May I have a word?”Inoue spoke up before they had a chance to leave.

Even with what they had been through there was still a sense of mistrust between the two of them. No matter what he did he could feel Inoue’s eyes trained on him as if he were waiting for him to mess up. The feeling was not mutual on Kobayashi’s side. Rather he didn’t care enough to pay that much attention to the other. It didn’t bother him too much, however the way Inoue spoke to Hanasaki did. There was something in the man’s voice that created this unsettling feeling.

“You’re more than welcomed to join us, Inoue. If I don’t get him fed there will be problems.”

“I’m not a dog.”He protested, which made Inoue snicker.

“Excuse me.” Inoue said, stopping his snicker. “I do not have time to join you two....”

There was something unspoken between the two in that bit of silence. It was something he was steadily recognizing, the way people could speak with each other without a single word. Kobayashi wondered if he would ever gain that ability, which didn't help the unsettling feeling inside.  
"Don't worry we will be safe. I got the invincible on my side." Hanasaki said.   
Inoue gave a curt nod before giving him a look. If he guessed what it meant it almost told him to look after Hanasaki. He couldn't keep the look out of his mind as he was practically pushed out of the room by Hanasaki.   
"Inoue is such a worrywart. We'll grab something  really quick before talking to the police."   
"Police?" Even the word still left a bad taste in his mouth. There wasn't anything that had made his feelings towards the police any better. The cars they had and the uniforms weren't his favorite sight. He still hadn't forgiven Akechi's police friend for threatening to kick him out of his home. Although now his Ferris wheel sat safely on top of the Boy Detective's Club base he still missed his old abandoned surroundings.   
"Don't worry I just want to chat a little and see what is going on. Akechi tends not to tell me everything so I want to get the word straight from them."   
"Why?"   
"Akechi worries about a thrill junkie like me. Inoue too... Of course, they worry about you too now."   
"Why would they worry about me?"   
"I suppose they know that barrier of yours is no match for my bad influence." Hanasaki chuckled. "Have you been practicing the emotion skills?"   
"Don't sing!" He said right away placing his hands on his ears.   
"Okay. Okay. But you really should..."   
He was about to ask why Hanasaki stopped when he turned his gaze towards a large screen. The man on the screen looked like any regular person so he didn't understand why Hanasaki was staring with a sad look on his face. Words scrolled along the bottom of the screen and he wondered if that was upsetting the idiot, he wouldn't know since he couldn't read.   
  
///   
Hanasaki stood mouth agape at the sight before him. There on the large tv screen was the image of someone he hadn't seen in years. Someone, he had been told time and time again to forget about. Even with all the years, they were separated he recognized him right away.   
"Brother." The word had been so hard to get out. It was even harder to wrap his head around what was being said by his long lost brother.  From what he could make out his brother was behind the blockade. He couldn't believe it. It didn't make sense. Not more than an hour ago he was sure Twenty Faces was behind this. Never in a million years would he think that his brother was involved.     
"Hanasaki." He heard someone call him. It sounded so far away. His eyes couldn't leave the screen even as the image of his brother gave way to static.  Something small hit his arm grabbing his attention. Kobayashi looked at him holding a handful of pebbles in his hand. When he didn't say anything right away Kobayashi threw a small pebble at his arm.   
"Stop spacing out idiot and tell me what's going on." Kobayashi said tossing another pebble.   
The pain was nothing against the numbness he was feeling inside. He stared at Kobayashi, watching those ruby eyes. He felt trapped and confused.   
"I....I have to go." He said before taking off.   
  
///   
Kobayashi hadn't known what to do when Hanasaki had stood unresponsive to his calls. If it weren't for his protective barrier he could've tugged on his hand or shake him back into reality. There weren't many options to gain the idiots attention and reaching out still was a risk even with the practice they had been doing. His mind had provided him the brilliant idea of tossing loose pebbles from the ground at Hanasaki. Even If they hurt he figured it was better than possibly having his barrier shred him to pieces. Now that Hanasaki had run off he was unsure if his idea was the best.     
He was left alone and the decision to go after Hanasaki or return to Akechi was not an easy one. His feet decided for him as he speed down the way Hanasaki had gone. Hanasaki was much faster than he was and within the few seconds he had hesitated to run after the idiot he had lost any hope of finding him. Not even a glimpse of orange could be seen once he got close to a crowded area. Kobayashi knew that going through a crowd would not end well. Scanning the crowd was difficult due to his short stature, yet he tried to find the orange blur. Reluctantly he stepped into a clear alleyway and called Akechi.   
  
///   
Hanasaki let his feet take him to where it was he was going. In the back of his head was a nagging voice that told him he shouldn't have left Kobayashi behind and disappear into the crowd. That voice was practically muted under the one yelling at him to find his brother. It had been years since he was forced to give up the search for his long lost brother. He never gave up faith that his brother was out there somewhere waiting for him. Further ahead he could see the police cars near the edges of the blockade. Abandoning all previous plans of gathering info and going by the book he sought for a weak spot in the blockade. It seemed almost too easy with the police focusing on those who passed by to launch his grappling hook on a hidden area of the blockade. Tugging to make sure it was steady he quickly moved up and over. The sound of gunfire caused him to topple over into the area. Adrenaline was kicking into high gear as two people were quickly approaching him firing away. By some luck, no bullets hit him as they connected to the dirt around him as he ran. A third figure was quickly approaching over a nearby hill, but he couldn't dwell on that fact as an arm grabbed onto his own. Making a sharp turn towards his attacker he punched the man with his free arm. The momentum made them both stumble forward. With his arm now free he felt more confident to face his attackers straight on, raising his fists in a fighting stance. The second attacker seemed more used to fighting than the first. Well-placed kicks and punches connected despite his best dogging attempts.   
"You're quite good." He said as he successfully dodged a punch.   
"Wish I could say the same." The female attacker said with a grin.   
He was about to remark when something hit him on the back of his head. With a loud thud, he fell forward. He Had forgotten that this wasn't a one on one fight. The pain on the back of his head was causing him to lose consciousness. As the world around him was growing dim his mind reminded him of a certain ruby eyed boy he had left behind.   
  
///   
"I can't believe he just left me here." Kobayashi grumbled to himself.     
Calling Akechi hadn't gotten him anywhere since he was apparently too busy to run after Hanasaki. The tone Akechi had used wasn't one of indifference Kobayashi could tell there was worry behind each word. Even the orders for him to remain in the alleyway was spoken in a sad tone rather than a harsh one. There was definitely more going on than he was being told. Whoever was the man on the screen had greatly upset Hanasaki almost as much as Twenty Faces did.     
"If it weren't for the stupid crowd I could've gone after him." He complained as he attempted to kick a nearby can, which nearly crumbled against his barrier. Kobayashi wondered why such reactions didn't occur when he practiced passing items with Hanasaki.   
"Where is he?" Inoue's voice came from behind.   
"I'm not sure. He ran off after some guy on the screen was talking about that blockade thing."   
"He saw the broadcast..." Inoue's face paled. "We need to go. There is no question that he has gotten himself into trouble."   
  
///   
A cool breeze tousled his hair as birds chirped merrily. It was so soothing that Hanasaki figured it was a part of his dream. A voice nearby was calling his name in a hushed whisper leading him into wakefulness. His eyes opened to a steady stream reflecting off the sunlight. It was beautiful perhaps too beautiful.Coming into a more aware state he sensed someone sitting beside him, turning his head he was face to face with his brother.   
"Haruhiko?" He asked. He still wasn't sure if this was a dream or not.   
"Kensuke. It has been a long time."   
Hearing his brother speak his name he didn't dare prevent himself from pulling him into a hug. Arms wrapped around him returning the embrace. This was something he dreamed about for years, to be back with his older brother and rewrite all those times he had spent alone in that house. A million questions flooded into his head when the embrace ended. Scanning Haruhiko's apple green eyes memories of moments before returned.   
"Don't look at me that way." Haruhiko said placing a tender hand on his shoulder. "You aren't in any danger."   
"But..."   
"It was a misunderstanding." Haruhiko said removing himself from the bench they shared. "Come with me Kensuke. Let me show you what we are all about."   
"We?" He asked, following after his brother.   
"The people who live here are not prisoners. They are merely everyday people who got tired of being mistreated and underappreciated by the larger society."   
As they passed homes everyone waved happily at them and he awkwardly waved back. The homes were beautiful and each had a front garden that was in bloom. This indeed wasn't a prison, yet there was something that felt off about this happy community.     
"You in the orange!"  He recognized the voice to belong to the female attacker he had fought earlier. He felt himself tense up expecting another fight. "Relax." The woman chuckled.  "I only wanted to apologize for our 'warm welcome'. The police have got us on edge.I didn't know that you were Haruhiko's brother ..no hard feelings?" She asked extending her hand.   
"No problem." He said shaking her hand. "It was a good fight."   
"I admit you weren't too bad." She turned her attention to Haruhiko. "We should really keep him on border patrol if he decides to stay." She said before leaving.   
"Staying?"   
"Of course. you're more than welcome to live here with us."   
"I...I don't know what to say."   
"Before you make a decision I want you to meet someone."   
  
  
///   
Once again Kobayashi was being kept in the dark. They had met up with Akechi and the police but he was forced to stay in the car. It wasn't completely a bad idea considering the number of people around and he didn't feel in the mood to deal with police. There was also the added pressure that he had to remain a secret, especially due to the interest of Twenty Faces. Being kept in the car, however, was annoying without the orange-clad idiot to keep him entertained.  It wasn't as if he missed Hanasaki, no he was only bored without having to deal with the constant smiling buffoon, or so that's what he told himself.  He was sure that any minute now Hanasaki would be running back to them and he would finally get some food. He just had to wait no matter how difficult it was.   
"Kid come take a walk with me." Akechi called out.   
Rolling his eyes he left the car, following after Akechi. He studied the man's face trying to piece together what look he was wearing right now. Kobayashi refused to resort to the horrid song to blast in his mind. A cigarette found its way into Akechi's mouth yet the man didn't light it only held it between his lips looking deep in thought.  In a flash, Akechi's eyes were on him and a small smile graced his face.   
"You truly worry about him don't you?"   
"Tch. Just tell me what's going on."   
"I have been informed that Hanasaki has gotten in."   
"In there?" He asked looking at the tall wall.   
"Yes....He'll be fine. He's a strong person." Akechi said as he moved a hand towards Kobayashi before retracting the movement.   
If it were not for his barrier he knew Akechi would've tried to lay a hand on his shoulder like he saw Akechi do with Hanasaki a few times.  He chose not to dwell on the thought. Hanasaki was somewhere behind this wall and he wasn't sure how to feel about it. The people behind here simply wanted to be left alone and if Hanasaki went with them he wondered if that meant he too wanted to be alone. He wouldn't let that happen. There was no way that he was going to let Hanasaki get away with interrupting his life and leaving without killing him first.   
"How are we going to get him back?"   
"So you do care for him." Akechi smirked.   
"I only care about him keeping his promise."   
  
///   
"Kensuke, I  would like you to meet the woman who has helped put this all together." Haruhiko said once they entered a room in the main house.   
The elderly woman who stood beside his brother wore a smile, though he wasn't completely convinced of its genuity. Haruhiko showed no difficulty going up and hugging the woman.   
"This woman has been like a mother to me for many years. I hope you could get to know her as I have."   
"Haruhiko has told me a lot about you Kensuke. It's good to see family reunited."   
"I agree." He smiled at his brother.   
"You are more than welcome to live here with us. We have an abundance of food and supplies. All you have to do is pitch in, everyone carries their weight around here."   
"Are you not concerned about cutting yourself off from the rest of the country?"   
"There is no need to fret my dear. This decision was not made in haste. We took many precautions while developing this plan. We've created farming areas and found sources for water. This is the closest thing to a utopia one could create on earth."   
Utopia was one of those words that made Hanasaki's skin crawl. He knew that there was no such thing and there never could be. All claims of a utopian society were usually built upon something that wasn't so kind and proper. Everyone looked happy and safe now, still, he wouldn't let himself to be fooled.   
"We won't keep you against your will. You are more than free to leave, but you will not be gained access back in I'm afraid."   
"I'm not going to leave my brother."   
"Then you'll stay?" Haruhiko asked with hopeful eyes.   
"I will. I'm not going to give up reuniting with my brother."   
"You two must have a lot of catching up to do so go on. I'll have food ready for you when you return."   
"Thank you."   
The mentioning of food brought Kobayashi to his mind. Once they left the house he dug into his pocket to retrieve his pendant. A frown came across his face when he noticed a large crack along it. He hoped that the damage wouldn't prevent it from working.   
"What do you got there?"   
"A pendant of the Boys Detective Club!" He said with pride.   
"You were always going on and on about it when we were younger."   
"Yeah...I love it. It's a lot  of fun and I get to help people."   
"You were always that way.I'm sure you cause a lot of trouble though."   
"Akechi thinks so. He calls me an idiot thrill junkie."   
"And whose to say he's wrong?" Haruhiko teased. "You always ran into things without thinking things through."

“I have grown up since then.”  
"Maybe in body, but I say your mind is stuck at four years old."   
"Yeah right." He said playfully pushing Haruhiko.   
He had always wanted to become a detective growing up, but it was Haruhiko's disappearance that brought him to Akechi's doorstep. Sometimes he wondered if he was allowed into the club just so he wouldn't pester Akechi about finding his brother. When he first discovered his brother missing he had gone straight to Akechi and begged him to take the case.   
"I missed you every day since you left. It was so lonely in that house."   
"I'm sorry." Haruhiko said taking hold of his hand. "Something good must've come out of living there right?"   
He thought about all the hard things he had to face alone. For every bad memory, there were good ones. He thought about Inoue and Akechi, how they had let him into their lives. Somehow he had managed to create a life without Haruhiko, it was the most difficult thing he had ever done. He loved his brother so much that he never gave up hope for the day they would be together again.   
"You're right...it still was cruel of you to  leave without saying goodbye." He said, trying his hardest not to cry.   
"I know....Look at you though...You became a detective. You must've made so many people's lives better."   
"Kobayashi would say that I disturb people’s lives."   
"Who is Kobayashi?"   
He nearly slapped himself for bringing up Kobayashi. He had a bad habit of talking about the invincible boy, who was supposed to be a secret. With an ability like Kobayashi's, there was worry of what would happen if he fell into the wrong hands. Of course, kidnapping, someone who had a protective barrier that destroyed anything when provoked made him a little less worried about someone like Twenty Faces getting his hands on him.   
"He's the newest member of our team. A real interesting person. Maybe you can meet him, but I have to warn you that he doesn't like people too much. He denies it but he cares a lot for people. I've seen him work really hard to get used to this new life."   
"I would like to meet this good friend of yours."   
"I'm sure he would love it here. He is a person who likes to be left alone and kept to himself. Soft spoken..."   
"They do say opposites attract."   
"How has your life been?" He said switching the subject before he said something he shouldn't.   
" That doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you are here." Haruhiko smiled. 

#####

I made the deadline, well at least according to my clock. Time differences are a complicated thing, anyways, thank you for reading! The next chapter deadline will be August 18th. I feel bad for putting this work on the back burner once again, but inspiration smacked me hard on the head for another story. I'm currently juggling a Harry Potter/ Fantastic Beasts work due to be up on July 31st in honor of 20 yr anniversary of HP and his birthday. I promise that this Trickster story will get finished! Until next time take care and never stop reading fics. 


	12. Brother

Hanasaki was getting comfortable in this place the more time he spent in here. Having Haruhiko with him made each moment stretch on for what seemed like forever. There was still so much they needed to talk about. Years had gone by without them speaking or even seeing each other. He wanted to know everything that had gone on in his brother's life and honestly he wanted to tell him everything that happened in his life. A part of him even wanted to tell Haruhiko about the dark times he had without him. Growing up in that household with a father that barely interacted with him companioned with the hurt of being abandoned by his brother made it difficult to create a home. There were times that he was convinced that his adoptive father hated him. Over the years guilt for his brother’s disappearance made him hate himself.

“Kensuke, you’re lost in thought again.”

“Sorry.”

“Penny for your thoughts?”

“Thinking about the past.”

“You should look to the future. Here you can leave the past behind and work towards something better.”

“You have done a great job here.”

It wasn’t a lie. This place was beautiful and held such a carefree atmosphere. Thoughts of police patrolling the surrounding barriers of this place was almost unthinkable. From here he could barely see the tall walls that boxed them in.  Not even the sounds of city life could be heard.

“I have tried my best...Stay with us.”

“Haruhiko I...”

“What’s stopping you?”

He thought about his life, how he had become a member of the Boys Detective Club. He thought about all the friends he had made. Thought about how he enjoyed to annoy Inoue or the way Akechi called him names. And then he thought about his home life. The large empty house that had lost all sense of a home the day his brother had left. It was only a place to rest his head as well as a place where his personal demons resided. There wasn’t really much keeping him from leaving that life behind. As sad as he would be to leave his friends behind he truly believed it would be worth a lifetime with his brother.

“Is there really something, someone out there stopping you from being happy here?”

Ruby eyes came to his mind. Kobayashi was someone he couldn’t easily leave behind. He cared for his partner so much that he knew he couldn’t go through with the promise to kill him. Kobayashi had come into his life making him appreciate the littlest things. The way Kobayashi enjoyed eating new foods or discovering something brought a feeling into his life that he had long forgotten. How could he possibly leave him behind after he had disrupted Kobayashi’s isolated life? There was no way he could do without the annoyed tongue clicks or the glares he got every so often. No he couldn’t go without Kobayashi anymore. In such a short time the stubborn boy had settled into his heart.

“There is someone I can’t be without.” He smiled.

“They are more than welcomed to join us. I want my little brother to be as happy as possible.”

He thought about it for a moment. This place was so peaceful and it wasn’t such a horrible idea to bring Kobayashi into a safe feeling place like this. Hanasaki trusted his brother more than anything. It was possible that if Kobayashi was here they could work on getting through his barrier safely away from the grasp of Twenty Faces. The last thing he wanted for Kobayashi was to be used by the evil man.

Kobayashi deserved to live free and the more he talked to Haruhiko the more this place seemed to be the freest place in the country.

“Thank you.”

“We should go get some food.”

 

///

A yawn escaped his mouth as he sat for the millionth time alone in the car. The day was coming to an end and still he had yet to be fed nor had they rescued Hanasaki. Kobayashi was seriously tempted to use his ability to strike down a nearby food machine and rob its contents. Constant growling was getting on his nerves. It had been a while since his stomach had felt this empty. Hanasaki tended to feed him at the first sign of hunger or right after they completed a task. Now he was being forced to wait as Akechi and Inoue  talked and talked and talked. All they ever did was talk. If someone didn’t feed him soon he wasn’t going to feel sorry for what might happen. Even digging through the trash like old times was starting to sound like a good plan to calm his stomach.

“Heads Up kid!” Akechi said tossing a bag into the car window.

He glared at Akechi. If he was startled there was little possibility that this car would still be standing. Turning his attention to the bag he tugged it open. The scent of meat greeted his nose, causing his mouth to water. He ripped through the covering greedily consuming the hamburger.

“I didn’t think you were that hungry. Sorry it’s taking us so long. If you want I can get someone to entertain you.”

“No.” He replied through a mouthful.

With food in his hand he could handle being kept in the car for a bit longer. The thought of someone entertaining him was unappealing.

“All right. We will be needing your help soon.”

Giving a nod Akechi left. They had come up with a plan to get Hanasaki back, but with the limited information they had behind these walls they were going in blind. Something in his gut told him that Hanasaki was at least alive. Akechi had told him that the police heard gunfire when Hanasaki had fallen over the top of the wall. They nor he believed that the idiot was killed by the attack. Idiots like Hanasaki were hard to kill.

As he started on a second hamburger he glanced at his pendant. If he called Hanasaki there was a large possibility that the call wouldn’t go through, or so that was what Akechi said. He wanted to know what was going on with the idiot. He needed to know that Hanasaki was okay, not because he cared about him like Akechi teased. He needed Hanasaki to live so the idiot could follow through on his promise.

“If he dies I’ll bring him back so he can kill me.” He muttered to himself.

 

///

Hanasaki once again looked at his pendant. He had been given his own bedroom after a wonderful dinner. The food had been delicious and he even managed to make small talk with the elderly woman. This place was truly a homely house, or more homely than his resident. His mind clearly could see Kobayashi sitting beside him in the empty chair at the dinner table. Imagining Kobayashi stuffing his face had brought a smile to his face.

“I hope they fed him.” He said as he traced the crack on the pendant with his finger.

Calling Kobayashi was an idea that he hadn’t decided was good or not. Sure he wanted to assure the younger one that he was alright, still he didn’t know if making a call would disturb the trust he was building with his brother. Not to mention he didn’t feel like addressing the unsettling feeling he held. Akechi would no doubt think of a way to break in and then what? Was he going to stand by as police infiltrated this place? Could he watch his brother be put under arrest? No matter how you looked at it Haruhiko had the attention of law enforcement ,which wouldn’t end well.

“Missing your friends?” The voice of the elderly woman asked from the doorway.

“A little.”

“It is normal to miss all that is outside. It will come to pass once you create a life within these walls.”

“You are confident in this working.”

“Why shouldn’t I be confident? We’ve worked hard to make this happen. Those on the outside may not understand what we are trying to accomplish but that is of little concern to me.”

“And what are you trying to accomplish?”

“I would think that would be obvious.”

“I’m afraid I’m too stupid to figure it out.”

“If you are anything like your brother I don’t believe you are stupid.” She smiled. “It’s getting late for an old lady like me. Goodnight young man.”

“Goodnight.”

 

///

The moonlight shined brightly in the cloudless sky. Kobayashi let out a breath and  watched as it formed a little puff in the air. The action reminded him of standing on top the roof doing the same thing with Hanasaki. Unwelcoming feelings crept up with the memory, but he kept it from showing on his face. Akechi along with the police had decided to launch an attack in the early morning. Returning to the base to catch a bit of sleep was offered to him, yet he refused to take it. Sleep wasn’t the thing he needed right now, he needed Hanasaki to come back. He knew these unwelcoming feelings wouldn’t go away until Hanasaki was back annoying him on a daily basis.

“Can’t sleep?” Inoue asked, keeping at a safe distance from him.

Not many people were as dumb as Hanasaki to get so annoyingly close to him.

“You?” He asked not wanting to answer the stupid question.

“Who could sleep knowing that Hanasaki is over there.” Inoue said, his eyes trained to the walls. “There’s no telling what’s going on. Why hasn’t he attempted to contact us?”

“It might be smarter if he doesn’t contact us.” Akechi said joining them.  “Those inside won’t know we are out here.” He said placing a cigarette in his mouth.

“You have a point.” Inoue agreed.

“We still don’t know of Twenty Faces involvement.”

“How can we be sure that he’s involved or if....”

There was that silent communication again. He watched as their eyes glanced into each other’s. Akechi’s hand took hold of Inoue’s giving a small squeeze. It was an intimate moment that offset the weird fluttering in his stomach. The two men were practically in a world of their own, no longer aware that he was there. He didn't like that.

“Who was the man on the screen?” He asked remembering how sad Hanasaki had looked.

“Haruhiko Hanasaki.” Akechi said, taking out a lighter. “His long lost brother.”

The way Akechi said that last part didn’t feel right. These two were constantly keeping things from him, not that he had wanted to know. Still he felt ancy? maybe that wasn't the right word, but he lacked another. If Hanasaki were here he'd give him a list of words to describe how he felt.

He really didn’t understand why Akechi hadn’t told him to use his cursed gift to break through the tall walls. It would be so easy for him to do so. Just him walking towards the wall should be enough to damage it and break the idiot free. So why were they waiting? Why was he waiting?

“No more.” He mumbled as he walked away from the two.

“What are you up to kid?” Akechi asked.

“No more waiting.”

With it being late in the night majority of the police force were not wake enough to notice him strolling past. He walked faster towards the wall. No one aside from the two members of the club was watching him. He walked even faster. Approaching the wall he felt the air around him sweep up and the pull in his gut as his barrier formed. Screeching of metal as it bend back against his shield he walked further. The sound alerted the police as well as two guards that stood watch on the other side. Gunfire rickashayded off him as he kept moving.

“Sound the alarm!” One guard shouted.

 

///

A blaring siren woke Hanasaki from his sleep. Disoriented he lept from the bed and ran to the window. Outside he could see the colorful sparks of bullets bouncing off Kobayashi’s shield. Wasting no time he jumped out of the window.

“Kobayashi!”

Feet hitting the ground he ran. Without his shoes on the soles of his feet collected dirt and dewdrops from the surrounding grass. He didn't care about that. And he didn't care about what senseless plan this seemed to be. All he cared about was the reason behind the echoing ears splitting pitch alarm.

“Kobayashi!” He called out again.

“Kensuke.”

His brother's voice frozen his movements as if his brother had somehow gained the ability to stop time.

“What's going on?”

“I....My friend just made an entrance.”

“You're friend.” Haruhiko said looking off to where the gunfire could still be heard. “Pity.”

Hanasaki felt his blood turn cold from the way his brother spoke that one word. Something about his brother seemed off. This wasn't the same Haruhiko he knew. This person's eyes were dulled ,holding a gaze of one who'd seen so much.

“Brother?”

 

////

“Tcht.” He clicked his tongue as yet another wave of armed people shot at him. Kobayashi wanted to ask these people if they had any brains at all. He couldn't bring himself to feel sorry for some of them whose rickashayed bullets impaled their legs. It was their fault for shooting him. And when the last person dropped writhing in pain he simply walked away. Orders shouted from behind him by police officers didn't matter. Not even Akechi running past him mattered. He needed to find Hanasaki.  These dam unsettling feelings weren't going to go away without the idiot.

 

///

“Kensuke. “ Haruhiko spoke slowly making it sound somehow menacing.

Haruhiko wasn't a menacing person. Hanasaki didn't know what to make of this shift in personality.  A glimmer of the moonlight brought his eyes to what was in his brother's hand.  A gun. His brother was holding a gun? This didn't make sense. Haruhiko had always been a pacifist.  

The gun rose ,stopping in mid air between them. “Kensuke you brought them here.”

“I. ..” His brain couldn't comprehend what was going on.

The old woman appeared besides Haruhiko seamlessly out of thin air. “Tell us. How did they get through our defenses?”

“Haruhiko. What is going on?”

“Do you realize how much work it took to accomplish this.  And now,” Haruhiko lauded and he could hear guns going off in the distance. “It's ruined.”

“Yes. He brought these people who are destroying all we've done.” the elder woman sounded like she was putting Haruhiko under a spell.

“Why Kensuke? Didn't you want to live free from the rest of society?”

He took a step back as the gun edged closer to him. This was wrong. Completely wrong. Haruhiko had to be under some form of mind control.

“I didn't want to do this.” the gun clocked.

“Stop right there!” Akechi boomed, gun drawn.

“Long time no see Akechi.”

He stood frozen. How did his brother know Akechi?  Haruhiko had gone missing years ago, thus leading him to beg Akechi to find him.

“Put the gun down.”

“Shoot away. Akechi.”

Akechi grip tightened on the gun. Panicked he jumped between the two.

“get out of the way idiot.”

“No! I won't! You don't have to do this.”

Two guns were pointed at him ,neither side willing to back down. How did it come to this?

“Idiot!” Kobayashi’s voice called out.

The second he turned to look at those ruby eyes a loud bang sounded. And then he saw red.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all. Sorry for the long time between updates. I swear I'm not going to abandon this fic. Life's just busy.  
> This chapter is super short,hopefully the next one will be better. In the time away I misplaced my plot outline so fingers crossed I find it.  
> Hopefully you liked this ch regardless.  
> Thank you all for reading and commenting.  
> Until next time.


	13. No Longer A Nameless Feeling

Kobayashi watched motionlessly as the idiot stood between Akechi and a stranger he guessed was Hanasaki’s brother. Both held guns pointed at the brunette in an orange jumpsuit. The drop in his heart forced him to call out. And in an instant, there was a loud bang. Cerulean eyes turned away from him. And as if the air had been knocked out of him Hanasaki fell.

That uneasy tugging of his gut felt so heavy in that moment as blood, redder than he'd ever seen in his entire life, pooled on the floor. He watched the ground soak up the liquid. If he moved or looked away from the ground he would lose it. The wind was already sweeping around him. His barrier was going to lash out if he looked up. The tug at his gut mixed with the uneasy feeling that he still couldn’t name.

An inhaled breath didn't prepare him for the wailing that came from in front of him. It sounded so painful, but it still couldn't match the pain in his own chest.

“You killed him!” Hearing Hanasaki’s voice he finally looked up.

The idiot was still alive. The tight lump in his throat restricted. Tears fell without a sound as he took in the sight of the orange jumpsuit covered in blood. Hanasaki was grasping at the stranger's limp body. Although he wanted to run towards Hanasaki he had to stay back his barrier was more unstable than usual.

 

///

“I didn't kill him.”Akechi said , voice monotoned while lowering his gun.

He didn't want to hear it.Didn’t want to even think about anything other than Haruhiko. His brother was bleeding so much. Desperately he tried to apply pressure to the wound,it was all he could do. He wasn't a doctor or had any special abilities to heal others. He was worthless. He couldn't save his brother. Tears were blinding him as he continued his worthless efforts.

“Come on kid.”

He'd heard Akechi call him that so many times.  Sometimes it was ender in ,other times it was out of annoyance. This time, however, he didn't know. The pain in his heart made it too difficult to understand.  His mind kept yelling that Akechi killed his brother.

Why? Why couldn't it have been him? Why was this happening when they'd just found each other again? They could've started over. Could've fled to a place where the past couldn't touch them and the future seemed to be filled with endless possibilities.

He felt a pair of arms attempting to pick him up. Resisting the tug he barrelled forward into the body of his brother. So much blood. There was too much blood it had to be stopped. He had to stop the bleeding.

“Haruhiko.” He whispered.

Sirens and shouts were getting closer now. This was the end for the paradise his brother had shown him. Taking one quick look up he noticed the old woman was gone. That didn't matter now.

“Haruhiko.” Pressing his ear against the bloodied chest he could hear the faintest of heartbeats.

“Kobayashi you need to get out of here.”Akechi ordered.

Kobayashi? He had forgotten that he was there.

“Not without that idiot.”

That voice sounded pained. There was no click of the tongue as he'd come to expect of the invincible boy.  Under ruby eyes he could make out tear stains. Kobayashi had cried?  His brain stuck to that as the rest of the world began to fade away.

 

//

What was wrong with him? The tug  in his gut warned him that his barrier was still unstable. He should be listening to Akechi. With his ability not in his control he was worse than worthless. He was a danger to everyone including Hanasaki. Especially Hanasaki,who he wanted to be near. His stomach felt empty and his heart heavy as  Hanasaki slumped forward. Blood smeared across Akechi’s shirt as he lifted the now unconscious idiot onto his shoulder. There wasn’t anything he could do. Akechi ran. He followed as close as he could without running the risk of his barrier ripping the two apart. The nameless feeling didn’t stop swelling inside of him the entire time they ran past police officers arresting people left and right. The weight in his chest didn’t lessen when they made it into the car or when they sped off into the night.

  


///

The weather outside reflected his inner turmoil. Rain slid down the window first in harsh bursts then eased to a light drizzle. It had been repeating for a while now. Hanasaki couldn't remember how he had gotten to this hospital. All he could remember was being covered in blood. Looking down at his hands the need to be scrubbed clean hit hard. Turning away from the window he noticed that there was a chair up next to his bed. Based on the way it was positioned someone had been sitting there only moments before.

“Kobayashi.” He whispered to the empty space.

The door to his room opened. He hoped that it was Kobayashi.  
"Hanasaki." Akechi didn’t look at him as he entered.

Seeing Akechi jogged his memories of his brother bleeding out. Haruhiko was probably dead. No, he couldn’t think that way. If he thought that he wouldn’t be able to recover. So many questions were left between the two of them.  
"He knew you. How?"  
Akechi Tapped his Cigarette box. “You will not like what I have to say.”

“Tell me.”

"Shortly after you tried to request my services to locate your brother I found him. He was getting involved with people you never want to get involved with...I told him to stay away from you. He threatened to come by often if he didn’t get paid off. It was clear he was on tough times. I paid for his distance from you and continued to for months. I never knew his plans. I now know what the money had been used for.”Akechi finally pulled out a cigarette.  
“To make a paradise.”  
Akechi paused from lighting the cigarette.“Do you honestly think that? What would happen when their supplies dwindled? You must know that place was nothing more than a time bomb.”

He didn't want to listen to Akechi. How many lies had this man told him? He’d trusted Akechi. Akechi had been the only adult he had ever fully trusted. Becoming a part of the Boys Detective Club was a dream come true mostly because he would work alongside Akechi. No matter what Akechi kept from him he believed in the man. Now he knew nearly everything was a lie. Akechi had told him so many times that Haruhiko couldn’t be found.  

He turned back to the window. “Get out.”

“You can't run from reality forever.”

The door shut without a sound. Akechi always was able to remain calm during arguments. That always infuriated him. Anger sizzled in his blood ,but the emotion he felt the most was sadness. He could still see how Haruhiko’s eyes widened the moment the bullet hit. Could feel the warm blood sweep through his brothers clothes and onto his hands. Akechi was right he was running from reality. Reality was now cruel and confusing. He didn't know who he could trust. All his optimism seemed to have been ripped from him. His insides felt so hollow,serving as a container for the anger and sadness mixing within him. Betrayed. He felt betrayed by Akechi and Haruhiko. Where was his brother?

“Poor little one.” A nurse stood besides him. When had he got there? He didn't care. The window was more interesting than another person coming to look at him. He had his fill of doctors and nurses the first time Haruhiko left. “Poor Kensuke.” that voice, Hanasaki snapped his head to the serpentine hiss of his name.

Twenty Faces smiled wickedly. “Unable to do a thing. Such a meaningless waste of space aren’t you?”

Hanasaki knew he should press the panic button on his bed or call out. Twenty Faces meandered about the room as if it were his domain and not a typical hospital room. “Shut up. You were the one behind this!”

“Was I now? I don’t recall shooting your brother to near death.” Those eyes sparkled as he spoke. It made his skin crawl. There was a knowing look on the man’s face.

“You have him.”

“That I do.”

“Give him back.” He spat. As Twenty Faces moved closer his thumb ran over the panic button.

“That is why I am here.”

The words froze his actions. “What are you talking about?” He kept his finger on the button.

Twenty Faces looked out of the window. “Do you think Akechi would stand by and let your brother walk free after this incident?”

“Where is he?”

“ I took him somewhere safe. I can take you there.”  Twenty Faces extended his hand.

This had to be a trap. It had to. Despite knowing that Twenty Faces hand remained extended, his attitude not seeming to care if he took the hand or not. Hesitantly he reached out.

“Excellent.”  Before he could ask again where his brother was something pierced his skin and the world slipped away into nothingness.

 

///

The rain was coming down hard again. Weather was strange like that coming and going. Water dripped from the small hole in the covering he stood under. He wasn’t ready to get back to the hospital room. He’d only sat beside Hanasaki through the night, while the nurses didn’t enter the room. According to the nurses, he overheard Hanasaki didn’t receive any wounds so he couldn’t understand why there was a need for him to be in a hospital. Kobayashi hated hospitals. Something about seeing so many sick people in one area was unnerving.

“He’s awake now. Not going in to see him?” Without looking he could hear Akechi light his cigarette.

He wanted to see him,but couldn’t. Inside he felt unstable. He couldn't risk possibly hurting Hanasaki with his curse.

Akechi puffed a cloud of smoke into the air. “You’re probably shaken up about what happened.”

“Not really.” Knowing that the idiot was still alive had untied the knot in his stomach. Something elses still lingered inside, something that almost felt like sadness only different. Kobayashi wasn’t ready to see Hanasaki and yet he knew that if he didn’t see with his own eyes that the idiot was alive smiling as always then the weird feelings would persist. There would be no sense in letting these things torture him if they didn’t end up killing him.

Akechi glanced at him as he took another drag. “No matter how unfeeling you are you’re still a kid. I’d freak out if I saw something like that.”

“It’s nothing.” That wasn’t true at all. He knew what nothing felt like, this wasn’t nothing. Death was a normal thing , which he had often envied. Seeing Hanasaki covered in blood was not nothing. Witnessing death was never nothing.

“Nothing?” Akechi flicked his cigarette into the wet ground. Something about the way the rain extinguished the flicker of flame bothered him.

Clicking his tongue he left. If Akechi was going to bother him out here it was best to deal with the idiot waiting inside.

 

The door that separated him from seeing Hanasaki seemed to be the hardest thing to face. Inside the sinking feeling was getting worse. He had to see Hanasaki. Needed to see the stupid idiot. Focusing as to not let his barrier activate he reached out and turned the doorknob.Silence greeted him as he entered. The bed was empty. He walked further into the room desperately stopping his mind from imaging what happened to Hanasaki. The window stood open causing water to puddle on the floor. Hanasaki was gone.

“Again.” The word slipped from his mouth as the windswept beneath his feet.

Kobayashi could feel he was losing control. This was bad. The ground beneath his feet were starting to crack. He had to calm down. There was no reason to get this worked up. It was just Hanasaki. No, not just Hanasaki. Hanasaki wasn’t a ‘just’ anymore. How could he be? He couldn’t deny that Hanasaki wasn’t just another person. The idiot was annoying and did things that he still was confused about. Hanasaki taught him things that he wouldn’t have learned otherwise. When they were together he could feel something other than the usual sadness or emptiness he had carried around for as long as he could remember. Hanasaki was the first person who had ever gotten close to him both physically and emotionally. Kobayashi couldn’t lie to himself now, he cared about Hanasaki. There had never been someone he cared about before. He hated caring. Hated how powerless he was from keeping Hanasaki safe. Hated how scared he’d been when the gun had fired. He’d never been scared of someone’s safety before. Before Hanasaki he wouldn’t have batted an eye at someone getting shot. But Hanasaki wasn’t some unfeeling freak like he was. And now thanks to the dam idiot he too was no longer completely unfeeling.

 

“Kobayashi What happened?” Inoue’s voice sounded urgent and fearful.

Looking around the room he could see why. The whole room was in complete disarray. Large cracks littered the floor to the point that he wondered if it possibly could give way if either Inoue or Akechi stepped in. The hospital bed as well as the items around them were warped and partially embedded into the walls. To the two it might’ve looked to be as though he had gone off like a bomb,but he knew that if he hadn’t tried to calm himself this room as well as the nearby ones would have been reduced to rubble.

“Gone.” He reached for Hanasaki’s pendant,which somehow had survived the destruction.

“Gone?” Akechi asked. Even without looking he could practically see the man slip a cigarette into his mouth.

“Hanasaki is gone.”

“Are you sure?”

“tcht.” He clicked his tongue at Inoue’s stupid question.

Hanasaki’s pendant chimed.

“Answer it.” Akechi instructed.

“Have you lost something Akechi-kun?” Twenty Face’s voice sounded smug. “So easy to lose those who you have betrayed isn’t it?” The call clicked signalling its end.

“Akechi....you didn’t...”Inoue was speaking nonsense.

“I had to tell him what really happened back then...”

“I don’t care.” He interrupted.  Gently he tightened his grip on Hanasaki’s pendant. “I don’t care what happened in the past. I don’t care what you said to the idiot. None of that matters to me.” His heart felt like it was deflating at the thought of Twenty Faces kidnapping Hanasaki. “We’re going to get him back.”

 

///

When Hanasaki awoke he found himself in a strange place. This was no longer the hospital nor was it anywhere remotely familiar. He knew it wasn’t a dream. The slight pain in his head as well as the memory of Twenty Faces agreeing to show him where his brother was further proved that this wasn’t a dream.

“Awake at last?”

Twenty Faces sat to the side of him his mask hiding all features except for that crooked smile.

“Where is my brother?”

“So impatient.”

His heart began to beat erratically as Twenty Faces slowly approached him. That crooked smile grew even wider. There was something about this man that unnerved him as the space between one another lessen. This was the first time he was alone with this man.  No one probably even knew where he had disappeared to.

Piercing eyes stared down at him. “Are you afraid?”

“No.” He glared. If he showed fear there was no telling what this deranged man would do.

“Oh?” Twenty Faces took a step back. “If you are not afraid then follow me.”

Hesitantly he followed the man who Akechi had always warned him about. This man was dangerous and he was stupid enough to be alone wherever here was without any means of contact or weapons to fight with if necessary.

“You don’t have to be so tense.” They moved past a partition which led to a sealed room. A large glass window showed his brother laying alone hooked up to several machines. “I unlike many make good on my promises.”

“He...He’s really alive?”

“I don’t kill anyone.” Twenty Faces pressed a hand onto the glass. “I don't dirty my hands like others do.”

“How can you say that? You’ve caused many to die.” He had to remember that this person wasn’t his brother’s rescuer he was a criminal. A murderer.

“I have not killed a single person. I have created situations in which the players do as they please. Your friends have killed more people than I.”

“You’re a liar.” He kept his eyes on his brother desperately not thinking about how this man was right.

“Am I? Perhaps you are right.” He felt a hand lay on his shoulder. He tried not to react to the touch. “Perhaps you won’t follow in their footsteps, shooting without remorse. Or you may end up on the other end of the gun. Either way is fine for you isn’t it?” The touch changed into a light grip. “There are only two types of people isn’t that right Hanasaki?”

“Don’t you dare pretend you know me.”

“Oh, but I know you more than most.” A pill bottle now dangled in front of him from the criminal’s grasp. There was no mistaking what they were.

“Where did you get that?”

In the glassed reflection he watched the man, he seemed far too happy. “At one point you thought your life was meaningless.” The pills shook in their container. “These  are powerful stuff, only the best that money could buy isn’t it.”  The container tipped and out cascaded the pills. Their small thuds as they hit the ground filled the silence.

“Enough.” He whispered looking down at the fallen medication.

He didn't want to think about the past. These pills that he had been on to manage the depression that came on with the disappearance of Haruhiko didn’t mean a thing to him. He’d stop talking them years ago.

“Tell me when you felt as if life were not worth living through what did they say to you?  Did they comfort you with lifeless words or did they send you straight to receive these?”

“Stop.” He muttered.

“Your ‘father’ I heard alot from about him from your brother. He thought you were a waste of space.” That was right. His adopted father saw less of him than Haruhiko. Haruhiko had been the favorite until his disappearance. His brother was going to take over the family business and had more of their father’s attention than he ever had.  “Haruhiko sacrificed a cushy life all so you wouldn't be tossed out like trash. And the loss was too much for you. I suppose your father thought it best to try to fix you of your sorrow instead of looking for another child to manipulate into the family business. Does he think fondly of you now or does he only see damaged goods?”

“Damaged goods?”

He could still remember how broken he had become when Haruhiko left. Could remember the disappointment in his father’s eyes when he couldn’t stop himself from crying.Remembered how close he had gone to the brink that left him with scars that had littered his skin for a long time. Back then he truly felt that his life was meaningless. His father sent him away for awhile after confronting him of these things. All the medication made that part of his life fuzzy ,still he recalled the day he returned and things were not better. The emptiness that overtook him leading up to his time in the mental hospital hadn’t disappeared. In all that time away he hadn’t gotten better. Haruhiko hadn’t returned. He needed to smile and bear the loneliness and the emptiness all without Haruhiko to help him out.Twenty Faces was right.  He was damaged goods. All these years his happy persona was to hide that fact wasn’t it? How could he be anything other than damaged goods?

“Now there’s nothing left for you.”

There was nothing left. His father had given up on him years ago and Akechi... Akechi,who he saw as a caring father figure was another liar. Haruhiko was barely here anymore, who knew if he would wake up. Anyone else he had ever come across in his life would turn out either of two ways: abandoning him or lying to give him false hope. There was no space in this world for damaged individuals like him.

“They will betray you,but I won’t. I was tossed away too.” Twenty Faces now was looking at him face to face. Unlike before those eyes now shone kindness and care. Inexplicably he trusted those caring eyes. “ I was tossed away by someone who I truly loved.”

“Really?”

“Yes. By non-other than your friend Akechi-kun. He saw me as damaged and thought it better to kill something that wasn’t like everyone else,” Twenty Faces shimmied one side of his clothing to show off a nasty scar over his heart. “I trusted him and he left me for dead.” His hand was guided to rest on the scar. “Those who are damaged can be far more resilient than that is deemed perfect. Do not let them destroy you so easily Hanasaki.”

“Don’t. let. them. Destroy. me.”

 

///

Standing outside of several buildings that looked to be abandoned his mind drifted to when he first met Hanasaki. He had to save that idiot again. If this cycle continued he would go insane.

“How did you know where to find Hanasaki?” Inoue asked.

“I put a tracking device on him. I knew Twenty Faces would go after him.”

“You used one of your own as bait?” Inoue snapped.

“Haruhiko was involved with Twenty Faces it only seems logical that he’d use that against Hanasaki.”

Whatever these two were going to fight over didn’t matter. All he cared about was getting Hanasaki back by any means necessary. Letting them bicker was not going to save Hanasaki. Picking up a pebble he tossed it at Akechi’s hand knocking the tracking device out of his hand. He rushed forward to grab it as both Inoue and Akechi moved out of the way. They weren’t dumb enough to stop him.  With the device in hand, he sprinted towards the direction of the blinking light.

“This time I’m not going to let that idiot leave my side.”

 

///

A loud bang echoed through the building.

“Appears that we have company.” Something heavy was settled in his hand as Twenty Faces walked away.

It took a while for his eyes to identify what it was that Twenty Faces placed in his hand. It was a gun. What was he supposed to do with it? Standing on shaky legs he looked into the room that housed his unconscious brother. He had to protect Haruhiko.

“IDIOT!”

Kobayashi huffed trying to take in air. He looked so tired and for a second Hanasaki thought to take care of him. Then familiar words echoed in his head They will betray you. _Don’t let them destroy you._ Kobayashi was with Akechi. Akechi wanted to kill his brother. Akechi couldn’t be trusted. No one could be trusted.  He wouldn’t be betrayed or used anymore.

 

///

His lungs felt heavy after running through several walls to get to where the blinking dot said Hanasaki was. He expected a smiling face and overexcited thanks for showing up to rescue the idiot, but neither of those greeted him. Hanasaki looked all wrong. There was no smile and the bright Cerulean eyes were glazed over. And there was a gun being raised towards him. This had to be the same thing that happened to Hanasaki’s brother.

“What do you think youre doing idiot?”

Hanasaki muttered something that he couldn’t make out.

“Come back so I can get some dinner. You’ve worried Akechi and everyone enough.”

“Akechi?” Hansaki mumbled towards the ground. “Akechi is a liar. He was going to kill Haruhiko. He would kill me without hesitation too.”

“What are you talking about? Akechi is,” His words were cut off by a bullet hitting his barrier.

 

///

His hands were quivering. He was frightened by what he had just done. Never in his life had he fired a gun and yet he had shot at Kobayashi with the intent to hurt him. This was wrong. Something was wrong with him.

“I....”

“You’re going to have to do better than that to kill him kid.” Akechi said gun trained on him. Instinctually he turned his own gun towards Akechi. “I am a far better shot than you.”

“That may be so Akechi-kun, but could you really shoot at one of your own?” Twenty Faces once again rested a hand onto his shoulder.

 

//

“Could you bear it to kill an innocent child?”

Kobayashi couldn’t stand how Twenty Faces was touching Hanasaki with that sickening look.  Those disgusting hands moving to hold Hanasaki’s face.

“I know you could Akechi-kun. Once a ruthless killer always a killer.”

Akechi moved closer slowly towards the two.

“That’s enough.” Inoue raised a gun as well.

In the moment that Twenty Faces looked towards Inoue Akechi managed to get the gun out of Hanasaki’s hand. The momentum caused Twenty Faces to let go letting Hanasaki to fall into Akechi’s hands.

“Do you think you can stop me?” Twenty Faces’s yellow eyes narrowed into a glare.  “This is just the beginning.”

“No.You will not continue this.”

“Akechi-kun you already know what happens when you go against me.”

Twenty Faces smirked as the shadows on the walls revealed themselves to be a group of people wielding guns. They were completely surrounded. He clicked his tongue. All of this was pointless they had Hanasaki. If he could he would take the idiot’s hand and run away.

“You have them under your control.”

“You make them sound like puppets.” With a snap all guns were trained on them.

“They are.” Inoue sneered.

“Then that must mean so is Hanasaki.” Twenty Faces snapped twice causing Hanasaki to punch Akechi in the face.

Akechi stumbled slightly as Hanasaki moved to stand beside Twenty Faces once more. He had to do something. Reaching into his pocket he took out a pebble and tossed it at one of the armed men. The trigger-happy man caused the whole group fire wildly. Taking advantage of his barrier Inoue and Akechi used him as a shield. He barreled forward enough so that the edge of his barrier made contact with several of guns causing them to twist in various directions. Those he were able to disarm were taken out by Akechi and Inoue.

 

///

“Very charming.” Twenty Faces began to clap slowly. “Looks like you’ve bested me again. But don’t think that you’ve won the war.”

Slowly he picked up a gun left undamaged on the ground. He could feel Twenty Faces’s words whispering in his head telling him to kill his friends. All his movements were not voluntary, each feeling as if it were guided by invisible strings. This must’ve been how it was for his brother. Haruhiko. He had to protect him,but to kill his friends to do so wasn’t the way. Killing to protect could never be the right way. He struggled against his own body. He couldn’t listen to the whispered orders.He had to fight back. For his friend’s sake. For Haruhiko. For Kobayashi.

“There will be no war.” He said placing the barrel of the gun to Twenty Faces’s head.

“Then what will become of your brother if you end me? Do you think your friends will forgive you for this? Will your father suddenly love you?”

He couldn’t listen to these words. These words were how this murder was manipulating him.

“All I know is that you must be stopped.”

“I will never be stopped. Even if you arrest me. Even if you kill me the world will still continue to be a vile place. I am not the source of evil in this world. Humans produce their own destruction. Each one is capable of unspeakable things all they require is the opportunity. Such as Akechi-kun did. As well as your brother.”

He pressed the gun more into the back of his head. “I will not fall for your words anymore.”

Sirens blared as a SWAT team filled the room.

“Didn’t think we came alone did you?” Akechi grinned. “Hanasaki leave him to me.”

“Akechi-kun you disappoint me.” Cuffs clicked into place, at long last containing Twenty Faces.

“There is no need for this any longer.” Akechi tugged the mask off the criminal's face.

He watched eager to know what this person looked like.For so long he imagined the face of a monster or possible disfigurement,but as the mask was removed it revealed a normal face. Too normal. Knowing that anyone could have been under that mask unnerved him.

“Tcht. This is lame I’m leaving.” Kobayashi moved from everyone.

“Kobayashi!” He called out as various movements occurred around him.

“I’ll be outside. Too many people.”

He looked down at the ground which now was covered in bullets and crushed pills. His head felt off and his heart felt heavy with dread and guilt.

“Hanasaki.” Inoue motioned for him to bend down. He complied with the motion. An open hand slapped him before pulling him into a hug. The action was something he deserved.

“Didn’t know you cared about me this much.” He joked.

“Of course we do. We all care about you.”

His head ached. Whatever Twenty Faces did was still there. He had fought it off in the moment , but he wasn’t sure if it would remain that way.

“Hanasaki?”

The world was starting to spin. He felt sick and the ache was now a loud pounding.

“What is going to happen to my brother?” He asked through the sudden onslaught of illness.

“He’ll be taken to a proper hospital. We will take care of him I promise.”

“Since...since you’re making promises. Promise me that until I get whatever is in my head out you won’t let me free. Whatever he did to me...no it couldn’t have been all his doing.” He glanced again back to the crushed pills. “Promise me that until I’m better I won’t be welcomed back in the Boy’s Detective Club.”

“I...” He looked into Inoue’s eyes pleading the man to agree. “I understand I will get Katsuda. I promise.”

“Thank you.”

“What about Kobayashi?”

It hurt to think that he was in a sense abandoning Kobayashi. This had to be done though. If he had addressed the past before all this Twenty Faces wouldn’t have had the ability to manipulated him like this. Although he felt like he couldn’t trust himself in this moment he knew he needed to trust his friends to do the right thing.

“Try to keep him from destroying the world while I’m away.”

“You always leave it up to me to take care of your work.” Inoue sighed.

  


///

Days passed since the capture of Twenty Faces. Hanasaki was taken away somewhere shortly after they saved him. No one told him where. Without Hanasaki the days stretched on with only memories of the happy smiles to keep the loneliness away. He even practiced some of the songs and games to help him figure out exactly what he was feeling. In the side of the Ferris Wheel he etched another tally mark into the metal. How much longer would he wait to see Hanasaki? He wasn’t the type to deal with waiting well. And there was only so much self-discovery he could get through on his own. But as the days had passed he had learned something very important about his feelings towards Hanasaki. The nameless feeling he had for so long now had a name. That knowledge made the waiting worse.

“Kobayashi?” It was Hanasaki’s voice there was no mistake.

Hanasaki looked better, much better than that day. Still, those eyes looked sad.

“Kobayashi I am so sorry.” Tears streamed from Hanasaki’s eyes. “I never wanted to hurt you in any way.”

Those words set off the strange feelings again. “Idiot.You promised to kill me.”

“I could never do that. From day one I had no intentions to kill you.”

“So you expect me to continue my meaningless life because you can’t fulfill your promise.”

“Your life isn’t worth a dam to me; is that what you want me to say?” Those words cut far deeper than he expected. “ Do you want me to think of you as something that can be easily replaced? I can’t do that! You mean too much to me. Your life does matter to me!”

He moved closer to the sobbing figure. His insides felt like they were being torn apart, he’d come to know that was a part of the once nameless feeling.

“You can hate me, you can keep pushing me away. From now on I won't abandon you regardless if you hate me. I care far too much about you.”

“I don’t hate you.” He whispered.

“Your life isn’t meaningless. How can I prove that to you? Everyone no matter how shortly we interact with them affects our lives. You’ve changed my life in more ways than you’ll ever know. You can’t tell me that holds no meaning, I don’t want to let you go, no matter how we feel about the way we have gone through life, no matter the mistakes, the regrets we cling onto; none of that makes our lives meaningless!”

“Hanasaki.” He took a step closer. “You are an idiot. A complete idiot. You interrupt my isolated life, toss me into this crazy life of yours. And then you go leave me twice so I have to save you before disappearing again. Now you won’t fulfill your promise?”

“I can’t.”

“You know what I can’t do? I can’t go on being unfeeling because of you. Because of you, I learned what emotions are and haven’t figured a way to turn them off. Because of your idiocy, I had to deal with not being able to handle not having you here...You’re life isn’t meaningless either.” Kobayashi stood as close as he could without letting his barrier touch Hanasaki. Carefully he reached out and took one more step. “You’re an idiot but you matter.”

With teary eyes Hanasaki also reached out. Their fingertips touched. No one had gotten so close to him before. There was no tugging sensation in his gut like when he felt endangered. That feeling was not necessary around Hanasaki. Hanasaki never made him feel endangered. Being with Hanasaki made his heart feel light and envious of all those who interacted with the idiot. What he felt for Hanasaki now had a name, yet he was worried to pursue it. Warily he moved their hands closer so now that they were holding. His heart started to pound even more and he could feel his tears pouring out of his eyes. This was terrifying. All these sensations were too new he didn’t want his curse to strike out. No matter how much he waited for something like this he had to separate from Hanasaki.

 

//

He could feel Kobayashi pull away. He wouldn’t let that happen. After everything that they had gone through he wasn't going to let this moment fade away so quickly. If this were to be the one and only time Kobayashi’s barrier allowed them to touch then he wasn’t going to let it slip away. Moving closer he wrapped his arms around Kobayashi. He could feel Kobayashi's heart beat against his chest. Tears were puddling on his clothes. He knew this was all overwhelming for Kobayashi. Kobayashi hadn't touched someone before so while they had this time together he was going to pour all his feelings into this hug.

“What are you doing?”Kobayashi didn't sound as monotone as he usually was, which pulled at his heart even more.

“This is called a hug.”

“Why are you hugging me?”

He eased his hold slightly so he could look into those Ruby eyes.“Because I love you.”

Ruby eyes shielded themselves back into his chest. Kobayashi’s grip tightened on him. “I don’t understand it, but I feel the same.”

 

 

#######

Author notes:

This is the end? I can't believe it. Unfortunately, the rest of the anime really lacked something that the first half, episode1-12, had which inspired me to write this retelling. This ending had many rewrites, which is why I didn't update sooner. I extremely enjoyed writing this fic and although I am not 100% satisfied with this ending I have to say goodbye to it. Well, at least for now. I have this horrible tendency to try walk away from a finished fic only to jump back and fix up the original work or somehow continue the story. 

Super Special Thanks to [Midnight_Blossom](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Midnight_Blossom/pseuds/Midnight_Blossom) for always commenting on my chapters and pushing me to get this fic done. 

I wish I could write this story forever. I had so much fun with Hanasaki teaching Kobayashi about emotions and simple things. 

**Author's Note:**

> #####  
> Author notes:  
> What did you think? Thanks for reading!  
> I really enjoyed this series. One major thing I hated in the first episode was the death of the dog so I decided to rewrite that part. I'm not sure how much more I'm going to follow the canon in episodes or how long this story will be. I wasn't really planning on writing this story since I have yet to finish another work on Fanfiction.  
> Going forward I want to develop the characters more without heavy reliance on the events of actual episodes. As much as I would like to rewrite canon through Kobayashi's POV I wouldn't think many people would like to read it.


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